Heal
by Emiri-chan the GREAT
Summary: Inuyasha was captured and tortured by Naraku. Can he find his strength again with the help of...his brother? Moreover, can Sesshoumaru? InuKAG, angst, injury and fluff. Warning: character death, but not Inu. Read and see. R for gore. CH 10 UP! HOLY COW!
1. Chapter 1: Allies and Enemies

**Heal**

"You see anything?"

"No! This is ridiculous; I can't even see my hands in this rain!" Sango complained. "This isn't working you guys, it could take weeks at this rate!"

"Which we don't have," Miroku said sternly. "It's already been too long as it is." The monk still managed to look completely composed, even in this pouring rain with water streaming down his black bangs into his face, and even though Inuyasha had now been missing for an entire week. 

Kagome stood next to him, trying to shield her eyes from the stinging water. _Please hold on, Inuyasha; we're coming_, she half-thought, half-prayed. 

"Do you think he's okay, Kagome?" Shippou asked in a quivering voice, his tone coming softer than usual from under her backpack flap.

"I honestly don't know, Shippou. Knowing Naraku, he..." Her voice failed her at that point.   
_  
Knowing Naraku, he could be already dead._

Only a week before the group had been hunting jewel shards as usual, with spats, demons, and Miroku's perversions coming and going like riverflow. 

But then, a fight with an especially strong demon had flabbergasted them all as the enormous monster had immediately gone for Inuyasha and slapped the hanyou into a tree, making him fall unconscious. The blow had only stopped him for a minute, but that was long enough for the demon to cast and hold him in an entrapment spell and carry him off into the mountains. Thanks to an injured Miroku and a poisoned Shippou, the others were unable to follow.

It had taken them a week just to find Naraku's hideout, carrying the two who were out of comission on Kilala's back as they tried to discover the location of the long hated half-demon. He moved the enormous castle frequently, and was sending them all sorts of monsters, storms and poisons to slow them down. Miroku had recognized the signs of a hidden agenda. 

"He probably has something in store for Inuyasha. He could have just killed him here when he had the chance, rather than taken him straight into the heart of his lair, _alive_, while he's still a threat. I don't like the feel of this, I really don't," he murmured. He had quickly been silenced by a troubled Sango, who stroked his forehead tenderly as he fell asleep. 

The two had been growing closer in the past few months, and even their regular exchange of insults and injuries had seemed more playful. Sango had actually screamed when she saw the monk slashed open by the two-story demon. Now he was up and about, the wound having healed enough for him to walk on his own and Shippou having gotten rid of most of the poison in his system.   
_  
Darn it all, I try to help out Inuyasha and this is what I get_, he thought sleepily from Kagome's pack. 

Naraku had planned thoroughly, filling the air with poison gas all around the demon's trail in case anyone tried to follow. The group found the kit later on, his mushrooms having wilted around him. Now he was also on his way to recovery, but the effects of the poison were still slightly visible.

"I still don't see what Naraku would achieve by not getting rid of all of us when he obviously could have," Miroku pondered aloud, shaking his head. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Neither does Naraku sometimes," Kagome muttered. "Knowing that sicko he probably wanted to see him die by his hands, make sure the job was done..."

"He could have just used his demon to bring him the body," Miroku argued. "If we don't find him soon, I'm afraid he might try to use him to his own advantage. Like a--" Miroku glanced in Sango's direction, then lowered his voice, "like a henchman."

"Why not show up here, brainwash him, and have him kill us while we're all in one place?"

Miroku sighed and put a hand to his temples. "I don't know." _Maybe we're not the ones he's interested in..._

"You guys, this really isn't helping at all," Sango shouted from her perch atop the floating Kilala. Kagome put the backpack down, moved Shippou aside, and reached for her flashlight. 

"Here Sango, give this a try," she yelled. "We've got to keep looking."

"I do not believe that will work."

Kagome froze in mid-throw as a cool, familiar voice floated up from behind them. Kagome and Miroku whipped around only to come face to face with a tall, white-haired demon. 

"AH!"

"Sesshoumaru?!"

The Lord of the Western lands was easily recogizeable even by his outline, his full tail wrapped around the shoulder with the missing arm, clawed armor settling lightly on his long, lean frame. Tenseiga, the sword that could not hurt but only heal, hung at his side. His yellow eyes scanned over them briefly, then left the group to study the cliffs.  
_  
Damn it, why now?_ Miroku cursed silently, calculating the odds of getting his wind tunnel open before Inuyasha's sibling sliced him into bacon.

"Why are _you_ here?" To everyone's surprise, Kagome was the first to speak. The stress of the past seven days had been getting to her, and to be honest, she wasn't in the mood for this right now. 

"Look, Sesshoumaru," she snapped bitterly. "Your brother isn't here, why don't you just leave us alone?! We have to--"

"I know my brother isn't here," he interrupted smoothly. "That's why_ I _am." 

There was about a three second pause. 

"What?" Kagome asked stupidly.

Surprisingly enough the demon looked away. "I don't want to discuss it with you as of now. Alright? I just..." Miroku and Sango watched warily as he turned his back to them. "I... I had...a dream..."

"What? A dream?" Kagome found herself confused. Seshoumaru's hard outer shell had been discarded; now it was as though he was...worried? 

_Is he actually upset? _Kagome wondered. 

Cautiously, the girl walked through the rain toward the demon lord and stepped in front of him, searching his eyes. "A dream?"

Sesshoumaru looked surprised, watching her gentle, sympathetic expression. "I saw things..." __

Things that shouldn't be done to anyone, not even my wretched half-brother. 

"I.." He stopped. The shell seemed to replace itself around him. "It doesn't matter." The demon stared coldly down at Kagome. "This is a temporary truce," he said sternly. "I will help you find the hanyou, and once he is found we will go back to the way things were." 

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "Okay," she grinned at him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Sesshoumaru seemed a bit unsettled at this.

~~~

Shadows flickered like ghosts along the stone walls. A high-pitched laugh echoed down the mountain, resounding from the small, almost unnoticeable opening halfway down its side. 

Along with the sound of grinding, clashing metal.

And screaming.

"_Noooo!! AHH! No, please--Sesshoumaru--please Sesshoumaru, HELP ME-- _BROTHER_**!!** AaaaAAAAHH!!! Kagome--KAGOME--HELP ME--- no--NO--Brother!! **BROTHEEERR!!!**--_"

Hours later the cries would fall away into the night.

~~~

The paths were very steep. Most of the time Kilala had to fly or jump instead of simply following the narrow road up through the forest. Miroku had been a little jumpy at first, traveling with the former enemy of Inuyasha, but thanks to the youkai's lack of conversation, it was easy to simply get caught up in the search. 

Sango had grown accustomed to the demon's presence, as she was the most unfamiliar with him in the first place, and Shippou had decided he was just going to stick with Kagome. He perched on her shoulder, half hiding behind her hair.

"Is he really gonna stay with us, Kagome?" he whispered in her ear. "He scares me..."

"I know, but he's different right now, Shippou," she replied softly. "Something is bothering him, and I think he's going through changes. Look at him." The fox kit and girl watched Sesshoumaru as he made his way on foot up the path. His face had its usual stark beauty, accented by the purple slashes tattooed on his cheeks and the purple crescent moon on his forehead, but the expression was... strange. 

Sesshoumaru seemed to be thinking deeply about something. He was almost oblivious to the group of people he accompanied; the demon hadn't said anything to anyone since last night. 

Suddenly he noticed the two of them staring and turned to face them with a blink. 

"Yes?"

"Oh, um, nothing. We were, um...just wondering what you were thinking about." Kagome blushed slightly, embarrassed that they had been caught staring at him so rudely.

"...I would prefer if I didn't share my thoughts right now... Maybe later?" He forced a slight smile, then turned and began walking again, a little faster. Kagome and Shippou stared at one another, then at Sesshoumaru in shock at his politeness. 

_That was...weird. I'll definitely have to get used to this. _

~~~ 

Sesshoumaru's brow was furrowed only slightly as he walked up the path with his usual liquid grace. Part of the reason he hadn't spoken was because the youkai had been too absorbed in his own thoughts; mainly he didn't want to get_ too_ friendly with them. They were mostly humans, after all. 

But part of him had changed after meeting the small human, Rin. She was like a breath of fresh air, wiping away the smog that closed around his lungs, his heart. Sesshoumaru had become attached to the little girl, having formed a protective, parental state of mind when she had become a normal part of his group. 

Usually he just didn't think about what she was. Rin was simply there, and he took care of her. And that was how it was, ever since she showed up.  
_  
Does blood really matter that much anymore? Racial blood?_ he wondered._ I've been alone most of my life because of mine..._  
_  
What is it that really counts in this world? Is nothing worth hoping for, if not even my own family?...What about my last kin, what about my...my little brother--?_

That's right, he realized_. He is still my blood... But, I...I've been...trying to..._

Kagome had indeed been right about the demon lord's changes. Sesshoumaru's internal arguments with himself had been running for months. He was at a crucial point now, and a decision would soon have to be made about what he would value for the rest of his years. 

What would it be?...

Sesshoumaru shook his head. Time enough to deal with that later. 

Suddenly he realized the fox child and the human miko were watching him. He blinked, having been a bit startled at missing their stares. "Yes?"

The girl looked guilty. "Oh, um, nothing," she figeted, "We were, um...just wondering what you were thinking about."

Sesshoumaru was genuinely shocked. She wondered about what was going on in his head? Why would she care? 

This took the demon a while to comprehend. "...I would prefer if I didn't share my thoughhts right now," he said, wording it carefully. "...Maybe later?" His inner struggles caught up with his smile as a lump formed in his throat. He turned his back to them and resumed his pace.  
_  
I hate this. Nothing's making sense. Why do I care so much about what happens to him? I've tried to kill him before, and and would now, without regret. _

Why am I...

....worried for him?  
  
A horrible blur of black, white and red flew past his mind's eye. Visions came one by one: bloody pipes, metal slag, a burning scream, jagged nails, a wall of sharpened metal stakes, claws digging into their owner's flesh, crying, screaming, endless black nights and red days...

The dream. That was why he was here, that was why he was...

"Uh, Se-Sesshoumaru?" It was the miko. He glared at her. "Are you, uh, alright?"

Abruptly the demon lord realized he had stopped moving and was squeezing his torso where his arm would have hung, wrapping his fingers tightly around his ribs. He was halfway bent over. 

Sesshoumaru immediately dropped the hand, straightening. "I'm...fine... Let's keep moving," he said roughly, shaking his head in one violent snap.   
_  
I've got to help him. None of it matters now, I just can't let_ this _happen to him..._

...I'm sorry, mother. Forgive me.

  
  
  
Tsuzuku..._  
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Sorry you guys. This is another idea popped up that just couldn't be ignored. I'll see if I have motivation to update my other three unfinished fics...I think this one may get updated more often though...^^

Okay, this is my first Inuyasha fic, let me know if it sucks. And yes, this is a torture fic, but 2/3rds of the writing is gonna be about his rehabilitation. Should be really cute, lots of big-brother-little-brother cuteness gonna happen. Hope ya like it!

No, this is not a Sess/Kag fic. I'm an Inu/Kag fan all the way.  
No, there is no yaoi, I have never and will not ever write a yaoi or lemon.  
Just FYI! ^_^X

Anyway, please review. I'm having such a hard time getting fanfics out nowadays, I'm really behind on school. 

Jaa! Lemme know if I suck or not!  
Later! 


	2. Chapter 2: Demon Battles

Wow! TEN whole reviews for just one chapter that I didn't even think was good! 

(sniff) Thanks, you guys! (sniffsniff)

I will thank loyal reviewers personally at the end of the fic, and I will answer any questions/comments at the top of each chapter. 

Yes, I know, the real name for Kilala is Kirara, but I like the sound of Kilala better. I have only seen the english version after all. But, Ireely wanna see the japanese...

Nihongo ga kikitaiiiii....  
Ja, enjoy!****

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Chapter 2

  
There it was. 

The dratted thing had taken a good three days more travel to discover. Yet now, looking at it, no one really felt very triumphant. This would be the hard part.

Naraku's castle was barely visible through the layers of purple smoke and poison gas that surrounded it, but even more disturbing was the enormous black mountain beneath the giant structure. 

By the looks of it it was going to take weeks more to climb the high ridge. And to top it off, the cliffs were surrounded by sharp rocks towering at least twenty meters high; it would take a miracle just to get past _that_.

Sesshoumaru and Kilala were the first candidates up. "Okay, who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Sesshoumaru said softly. "I won't have problems with poison like the cat."

Kilala growled quietly.

"If I find him I'll bring him back, alive," he added swiftly, "Give me ten minutes. Longer than that and you can come in and find him yourself." Kagome nodded.

"Be careful," Sango called after him. Sesshoumaru formed his floating cloud and drifted upward into the mist. The group looked after him until he disappeared. 

"I hope we're doing the right thing," Miroku murmured. "We can't know what he's thinking."

"He knows what he's doing," Kagome said, staring at the fog where he'd vanished. _I just hope he gets there in time... Inuyasha..._

~~~

Sesshoumaru had been floating for a couple of minutes when he slowly realized the fog was eating away at his transportation. He leaped off, landing in a crouch atop of one of the spike-shaped rocks, hands on his knees. 

"Huh." _That's never happened before, _he thought, puzzled.  
_Oh well.  
_  
The youkai leaped gracfully from ridge to ridge, each jump taking him about twenty or thirty feet up into the mountain. He really had hoped he wouldn't have to do it this way, a landslide could be caused below him if he went too far and he would definitely miss an opening if it was hidden in rubble. 

But, thankfully, a hole in the side of the black mountain was plainly visible, with just the slightest glimmer of light emerging from the entrance. It was very little, but to his exquisite demon eyesight it was easy to see.

Finally the demon lord stepped up to the opening and cautiously peered inside. It seemed to be leading down a rather long tunnel, light just barely escaping from an underground room.   
_  
That must be it. I remember these dungeons.... I might have_ used_ them at one point.  
_  
Sesshoumaru had known this mountain well. A few decades ago he had used it as a mansion, whereas Naraku seemed content to place his home atop its peak. 

The youkai moved down the pathway with a quickened stride, wondering what changes had been made. A few thousand feet later he found out and had to step back in shock.

He stared down in wonder._ It...it couldn't...be...We aren't deep enough down for--for--_

Lava. 

Boiling, churning, searing lava whose heat was already burning his face from at least five hundred feet down. Sesshoumaru definitely didn't remember putting this in. The cavern had been empty, and on ground level this kind of fire just wouldn't appear. He decided it must be a spell.

The youkai formed his transportation cloud once again and made his way to the path a good fifty feet across the pit. He was halfway there now, watching the roiling mess below.

Suddenly an enormous hand shot out and swiped the air beneath him as an earth-shattering roar pierced the air, making him start in shock.  
_  
Wha--?!_

The fist was glowing. 

It was made entirely of lava, and abruptly he recognized the bubbles below, not as churning magma, but as _eyes_. Fire demons. _He must have added them as a precaution_.

Sesshoumaru rose higher to avoid further combat, but more hands waving with flame shot up from the pit, swinging and shooting burning chunks of rock at their comparatively small target. The demon lord formed his whip and shot the projectiles back at their owners, slapping them in their melting faces. At this distraction he took the opportunity to spray a cloud of poison from his claws, as much as he could muster. 

Needless to say, this did _not_ go over well.

"_**RRROAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!!!**_" The monsters had one moment of horrified comprehension before the room burst into unchecked flames and acid. With one great desperate leap Sesshoumaru made it out of the chasm and into the far opening just as it exploded in a fireball of disgusting demon. 

"Ugh," he grimaced as the smell of rotting youkai invaded his sensitive nostrils. The demon lord leaned against the cool stone wall, just behind the lip of the entrance. He coughed and choked in the thick yellow smoke. Poison was one thing; he'd built up an immunity to that, using it as one of his own trademark attacks, but this was unbearable. He'd have to wait until the fumes cleared before he brought anyone through here again. It was worse than miasma.

Sesshoumaru sat up and forced his way through the smoke, taking step after step until he reached another entry.   
_  
You owe me big time after this one, little brother._

~~~

Miroku sat on one of the smaller stones at the base of the mountain. His expression was distant. 

_I wonder which one of those windows Naraku is in... Bet he's watching us right now. Ya know, part of me wants to kill him and make sure the world is rid of him and put everything to rights. That's how it should be..._

But another is just getting really, really tired of him.  
  
"Hey, Houshi," Sango said, settling down next to him. "How're your wounds?"

"Better. Not well, but better," he grinned. The monk sobered quickly. "Thank you. For worrying about me."

Sango looked surprised, then pleased. "Sure." 

There was a long silence.

"...Ahem, anyway, uh, how's the kit?"

"He's good. The poison seems to have worn off completely. Now we have an even bigger problem."

"What's that?"

"Now he's hungry," Sango smiled. The two of them laughed softly.

Kagome was seated next to the kit a few meters away, messing with his hair as he sat on her shoulder.

_Sesshoumaru... What are you going through?_ she wondered. _Are you going to forgive_ _Inuyasha? Inuyasha, will you forgive him? He needs to have a taste of normal life, of a family, of friendship._

Will he get it from you?

"Kagome!" 

The miko turned her head at the sound of Sango's voice. "Look up!" she shouted. "The mountain! The rock! Look there!"

Almost immediately a tiny black dot in the distance exploded outward and shot from the mountainside like the firing of a gun. Yellow and orange flame whose heat could be felt from all the way down the mountain spewed from the mouth of the cavern. Rumbling and violent shaking caused a landslide down the sides-- directly on top of them!

Kagome screamed Sango's and Miroku's name, running toward them; Sango threw herself over Miroku and covered them with her hiraikotsu, Kilala grew full size to try and shield her master from the falling rocks and boulders.

Kagome hugged Shippou tightly to her chest, waiting--

--waiting----

and suddenly, it was over. Smoke was clearing from the base of the shaken mountain, a pile of debris and dust and gravel settling into the... rock?

Sango looked up to see that the sharp, spreading spikes of black stone had absorbed all of the damage and caught the landslide before it hit the ground. There were a few pebbles and bits of ash in their hair, but aside from that they were fine.

Kagome looked up at the mountainside where the rocks had originated from. _Sesshoumaru?_

"Everyone okay?" she called.

"Yeah, we're fine, but what about Sesshoumaru? He was in there," Sango shouted down.

"We have to help him. That explosion was enough to kill a demon; we have to see if he's--"

"No," Miroku said firmly from under Sango. "We promised him ten minutes. We can't intervene until then."

Kagome looked doubtful, but she nodded. "He's already been gone for about three or four. Six minutes and we go. Agreed?"

Sango and Miroku nodded identically. 

Then Sango's expression went from agreement to pink-faced, violated ticked-off-ness as the Houshi underneath her took an extreme liberty with their current position. 

Kagome rolled her eyes just in time to miss seeing the demon exterminator clobber the lecherous monk with her Hiraikotsu. 

"Humph," she snorted, dusting her hands as she walked off the monk toward Kagome. "Come on Kilala. We're going to the other end of the clearing." Miroku let out a pained, yodel-like sound as the enormous cat leapt from her higher ground onto his stomach and finally into her master's footsteps.

Men...

~~~

"Okay, _now_ I'm mad." 

Sesshoumaru glared peevedly at the demon in front of him. The monster was using its jello-like body to form a sort of parody of the demon lord, a weird looking cross-eyed expression on its blue face, tongue hanging out, wearing a collar of some sort. His tail had a big ribbon on it. The funny looking Sesshoumaru doll was dancing around like an idiot, circling the object of its ridicule. Sesshoumaru watched with growing ire as the demon blew a raspberry.

It was a water demon, of the weirdest kind. This monster was not susceptible to poison or acid, every time he shot it at the demon it merely sucked it up into its gooey body. He had been staring the thing down for over four minutes straight and he really was getting ticked off at the creature's audacity. It had been mocking him for too long, by Sesshoumaru's standards.

But then, any amount of time was too long by his standards.

"Curse you, you stupid creature, get out of my way!" he said angrily. He swiped at it only to miss and get spat upon by the mischievious demon. 

"Agh!" Sesshoumaru reached for his eyes reflexively, where the demon's excellent aim had hit him. It was only water, he could smell that much, but it hurt like hell. The pressure was so great it had pushed his eyes back into their sockets, he couldn't open them. 

The demon lord could still hear the creature's wordless taunts, and now it was circling him in its own form, wrapping itself tighter and tighter around his feet, tripping him. 

"Damn you, let me GO!"

The demon responded by immediately engulfing him in its fluid form, and a wave of water swept into Sesshoumaru's mouth and nostrils. He couldn't breathe. The youkai could feel his brain growing numb from lack of oxygen.

_Can't...move.... No! I'll be...damned if I'm going to let...an idiotic, sorry excuse for a demon... like this...kill_ _ME!  
_  
"GroaaaaaaAAAAAHHR!" With a long, angry roar Sesshoumaru burst forth from the demon's body and sprang up in his full beast form, towering over the tiny puddle. 

The demon let out a noise that sounded somewhat akin to a frightened mouse. 

Suddenly Sesshoumaru could hear a squelching, slithering sound and he could smell that the demon had changed it position. He was making a run for it!

_Oh no you don't. _

The enormous dog demon leapt across the cave to where the creature had hidden itself and tried to drag it out by its tail. But his paw only got soaked with its body. Curse it, he couldn't just let this thing get away with--

Abruptly an idea sprang into the demon lord's head. He grinned toothily.

Slowly Sesshoumaru lowered his head, clamped his jaws over the opening, and sucked the demon out from under the rock. It gave one final "eep!" as it disappeared down his hallway-sized throat. The youkai shrank back down into his humanoid form, shaking his head and fixing his eyes carefully back into place.He laughed, thought for a moment, then gargled.   
  
"Ahh...refreshing." He patted his stomach. "Thanks. I needed that."

  
  
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Okay, yes, that was weird. Thank my dad for the "have a water demon" idea, thank me for the insanity. 

Likey? No likey? 

Was that reely horrible? Please let me know; I'm trying to make the battles as interesting as possible. Oh and don't worry! We'll find Inu-chan next chapter! Hahahaaaa....

(Evil authoress laugh)

Jaa na! ^_^X 


	3. Chapter 3: Atrocities That Shouldn't Be

Wow peoples, I'm so honored. TWENTY whole reviews for two chapters!!!  
WAAAIIIIIIIIIIIII!! (snffle) I'm touched.

**WARNING: **Okay peoples of fanfiction.net, I'm tellin' ya up front. We get to Inuyasha this time. But you're not gonna like it. It's baaaad...

Well, okay, considering I know how a lot of us think, you're gonna love it.  
Cuteness! Yes, cuteness has been achieved!   
(I think) (lemme know if I'm right)

Please review! All reviews are appreciated.   
Yes, I know Kilala's real name is Kirara, but I like Kilala better so I;m using it. (I try to keep it in mostly English if I haven't seen the Japanese; don't wanna ruin it by making up a personality.) Oh, and no, no yaoi or shounen-ai. 

(I found out people will eventually listen to you if you repeat yourself enough) ^^ Enjoy! ****

  
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Chapter Three

  
_Which one_, he thought groggily. _Which one is it gonna be..._

_...Wonder when I'll die._

He didn't know how much more he could take. The blood loss had been draining enough, but the stress of being held up like this was blurring his vision. The hanyou was slipping in and out of consciousness again, as he had been for the past week. He had no more strength left in him.

All he could do now was wait.

The wall in front of him stretched wide like a mouth, ready to swallow him whole. He couldn't see it anymore. He couldn't even smell it. All he could do was wait for the inevitable shrieking of the gate next morning and brace himself for what was next...

~~~

The door was relatively easy to open considering its size. Sesshoumaru pulled the handle of the towering gate towards him and slowly poked his head inside... Only to be struck at by a whiplike tail. 

The new demon had a form similar to a scorpion, except for its head, which resembled a lizard's. The coloration was strange, like grey-shaded marble, and it hissed loudly.It must have been at least twenty feet tall.

This was a rock demon, a stone monster from the deeper caves of the underworld. How Naraku was able to get a hold of one of these Sesshoumaru had no idea. 

The demon lord's musings were abruptly cut short as the monster shot at least a dozen stone needles from its spine directly at him. He whirled away in a front flip as they slammed into the wall and pierced all the way through. Sesshoumaru could see the previous room from the puncture holes. His lip curled in a snarl as he reasessed the demon before him.__

If I'm not careful he'll hole my lungs, or my heart. Can't take chances with this one...  
  
With a single finger he signaled for the monster to come.

"HA!"

Sesshoumaru was only there for an instant but the instant was enough as the creature struck blank rock. With one slice of his whip he severed the demon's arms, pulling back at the clatter as they hit the ground. 

"GrrrraaAAAEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" The monster was on the floor, writhing, knocking stalagmites and stalactites left and right. With a violent hiss it sprang up on hind legs and hit the high ceiling, clinging with razor-sharp claws. Glowing red eyes stared balefully at the small creature that had caused it so much pain.  
_  
Have to finish this quick. The others will try to come here soon._ The demon lord leapt upward and aimed a slashing strike for the beast's stomach, cutting him in two--

"_AAARGH!_"

--FWAP--  
  
--just as the creature aimed its excruciatingly heavy stone tail directly at Sesshoumaru's chest.  
**_  
WHAMM!_**

Even as it died the demon slammed his body into the far wall with its severed apendage, smashing him into the hard stone. There was a sharp_ crack! _as his head hit the wall and he fell flat on his face from the stone. But he quickly discovered that wasn't the problem.

His chest just wouldn't _work_. 

Minutes later he had just the presence of mind to try to rise. The youkai gasped slightly, nearly swooning when he accidentally brushed the bruised flesh of his chest. _That_ had really hurt. It might take a while for this to heal, but he could still stand. With one hand on his aching collarbone he gathered himself and carefully walked past his separated enemy.

He made sure to spit on the body as he passed.

~~~

The grinding of the gate alerted him to his captor's presence. A chill of fear and apprehension ran involuntarily down his spine.

"Hello Inuyasha. Ready for today?"

The hanyou clenched his jaw, shut his eyes, but that didn't stop the pained whimper from escaping his throat. The tears came in rivulets.  
_  
Aniki...Brother, help me...Kagome...Kagome--Kaa-- _"_AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAGGHHH!_"  
  
~~~ 

Sesshoumaru's heavy breathing echoed dully off the stone walls. At the end of the hallway there was a spiral staircase leading up into the next passageway. It was lit by torches, and a black substance that looked uncannily like blood was dripping from the next story.   
_  
These must be the levels for the torture chambers_, the youkai thought grimly. _I thought as much. I'll be lucky if I don't find a corpse.  
_  
Little did he know.

The stairs seemed to lead forever upward, was there a door at all to this place? A sudden pain shot through his chest and he had to lean against the sloping stone. "Ahhh..." The pain was growing. That creature must have smashed him harder than he'd originally thought...

Angrily he forced himself upright and pressed on, one foot in front of the other, step, step, step...

"**_AAAAAAAAHHH! NO! Noooo--_**" Sesshoumaru nearly leapt out of his skin at the sudden scream. It was right next to him! Right there!  
_  
That was his voice...I think. But there's nothing here... Wait! _The blood was leaking from beneath the edge of the wall and the step.   
Hope swelled in his breast. 

"Inuyasha?!"

"_Brother! Help me, please help me--_" 

The voice faded.

"I'm coming! Hold on--" With an infuriated roar of desperation and anger he slammed his shoulder against the heavy stone and took it clear out of the wall, skidding to a stop across the blood-red room.

What he saw before him brought an onslaught of different emotions.

Inuyasha was being torn apart.

The demons beating him were using anything and everything they could think of; whips, burning iron, claws, swords. A pile of weapons and instruments of torture was laid out over in a corner of the cell and the creatures would use anything and everything they could get their hands on. No faces were visible; they were black shadows. 

Sesshoumaru could see his brother's eyes, and he knew he was fading. 

The irises were a dull, sightless white-yellow, staring half-lidded at nothing. His head was bobbing, and he shivered unnaturally. The red protective cloth of his shirt had been removed, revealing a bare torso completely covered in blood, dirt, burns, sweat, and bruises. 

His remaining clothing, the hakama, was ripped almost to shreds, swaying around him like a robe from the waist down. 

A pike had been stuck all the way through his chest, protruding four inches long from his back, and his arms were broken. There were iron stakes pushed deep into his thigh and a dagger stuck in each arm. 

Despite all this he was being forced to hold himself up, as his wrists were being pulled to the thirty foot tall ceiling in two different directions. His upper limbs were stretched across tightly, his legs unbound. 

It was plain to see he was not standing on his own energy, though. His knees were bent, feet dragging on the floor whenever a monster would move or swing the heavy chains.

To Sesshoumaru, his injuries were indeed horrible.   
But his _face_.

He was crying. He must have been crying for a long time; the tears formed white tracks in the tan of his cheeks, even where they were dry. The hanyou was white as a sheet, sweating cold, cut lip moving slightly, ears chipped, his hair in disarray down his back and shoulders, sticking to the wounds. The once pure white was caked with dried blood. 

It was also plain to see that his brother had no presence of mind.

The demons leapt tauntingly around the hanyou in a circle, slashing him and hitting him again and again. He just closed his eyes tightly. They slapped his face, knocked his head, jeering. These creatures obviously enjoyed their job. 

They were about to regret ever being born.

"**YOU!!**"  
  
The shadows froze.

"_Leave. Him. Alone_." 

The Lord of the Western Lands was now wearing an expression of pure bloody murder. His eyes were glowing like fiery suns, nearly blocking the view of his face. 

Sesshoumaru had seen enough. All doubt about what he was doing had completely disappeared; he was going to make these bastards pay for what they'd done. A growl eminated form his tightened throat, his hand clenched so tightly the claws dug into his skin. 

The cuts flowed an angry red from his palm.

The demon shadows were backing away slowly, trying to avoid the oncoming hurricane.

"NO!" bellowed Sesshoumaru. "You aren't going anywhere. DIE, you_bastards!"  
_  
With a scream like that of the Furies the youkai shot forward and ripped the first shadow into pieces with his claws, growing into the giant beast of his father's heritage with a howl. Tearing, agonizing claws tore through demon after demon until nothing was left but pieces.

"_Hunh...hunh_... No one...hurts my brother," he panted, reverting to humanoid. _Except me_, a shred of guilt added mentally.

There was a moan from behind him.

"Inuyasha!" He whipped around just in time to see his head drop below his shoulders. Sesshoumaru ran to his little brother and stood trying to wake him. 

"Inuyasha--?" 

The hanyou's head lifted and he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. 

"There..."

"What is it, what..." Sesshoumaru followed Inuyasha's line of sight to the wall--where he was greeted by weapons, weapons, and more weapons. 

This wall was where they'd been getting the painful devices; the pile in the back seemed like nothing compared to this armory. 

Then it hit him. 

Inuyasha had had to watch this everyday.

Naraku had left the whole wall covered with torture implements so he could sit there and imagine what would be used on him the next day. And therein lay the true pain.

Anticipation.

"Nnngh-- Aahahh--AAAH!" Abruptly the hanyou pulled away and began to shriek again as his sibling touched him, memory and reality merging. "No, NOOO! No..." With one last convulsion his body went slack.

"Brother? Brother?!" he cried. _Oh no, no, oh no, don't, don't--_ It was all he could think, over and over. With a quick slash he cut Inuyasha's chains and slowly helped him to the floor with his remaining arm. 

The beginnings of panic were setting into the youkai. "Please don't do this-- Brother!"

Inuyasha jumped violently at the bite of the solid ground. "AAH--"

Sesshoumaru saw that this would be harder than he'd first thought. It would be painful; the metal pieces and the pike in Inuyasha's back were more than he could handle with only one hand.   
_  
Oh Kami-sama, what do I do? What? _"Inuyasha, come on, look at me. You've got to stay awake. Please, brother." The demon lord took his sibling into his lap, propping him up with his stump of an arm and using the remaining appendage to hold his head.  
  
"Inuyasha," he said coaxingly.

"Uhhn," Inuyasha moaned again. Sesshoumaru could almost feel the sharp pike touching his leg. He was in so much pain, and there was nothing he could do. It was almost more than the youkai could bear. 

"Se--S--ss--Sessho--" The half demon was struggling with his words.

"Yes, that's right. Now please, brother, open your eyes," he half commanded, half-pleaded. 

Inuyasha complied, and he could see it was taking his sibling a lot of will power simply to keep himself from passing out. "Good, good, that's it. Just keep it up."

"Wh--who--?"

Now Sesshoumaru was surprised. Inuyasha had just said his name; had he already forgotten it? Was the hanyou that out of it?

"W-want..."

"What? What is it you want, brother?" He held him closer to his head so he could hear.

"...Want... Ses...shou nii-chan..."

The youkai blinked in shock. _Nii-chan? He hasn't said that for..._ "But I'm right here. Don't you see me?..." Suddenly it clicked. Sesshoumaru used his leg to keep the half-demon's head up while he freed his hand. He waved it in front of his little brother's face. "See there? It's me..." He stopped.

Inuyasha's eyes hadn't followed his movement.  
His brother was blind.  
_  
Oh mother, I'm so sorry..._

"S...Sessho..ou nii-chan......bro...ther...where...?"

"Shhhh, it's okay, I'm right here, little brother," he murmured, pulling him close with his hand again. "It's me, it's Sesshou-nii-chan, remember?" Yes, that was the way to go. "Remember all the things we used to do together? Remember Mama?"

"M...mama..."

"Yes, Mama. Remember," he went on as tears began to fill his eyes, "remember that river you fell in when you were chasing after your ball, and Mama made me go get you? And when I got you out you spat water in my face, and we both laughed?"

"...hh..heh...Wet...Nii-chan got...wet in the river..."

"Yes, that's right." He was forcing himself to smile through the streaming tears. "Nii-chan got all wet. Then I chased you, and you wanted to go see the sakura blossoms, and the snow, and hear stories about when Nii-chan was little. Then Mama would tell us that it was time to go to sleep, and you'd always get scared of the dark and hide under my pillow," he choked, "and we'd laugh, we'd laugh... Oh God I'm so sorry brother..."

Sesshoumaru bent and wept into his little brother's hair, wrapping him up in the only arm he had. 

But oh, what he would have given for two.

  
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I think I like this chapter.

Next we got Kagome coming.   
And of course, Fluffy-sama doesn't get off the hook either. ^_^X   
I've got all sorts of recovery plans for him. He did get whacked none-too lightly by that stone beast, sooo....

Heeheehee... I'm so evil...  
But hey, angst is fun, right? I think that was kind of cute, personally. It was very spontaneously written...

Ahem. Back to business.   
Kagome and the guys have Inuyasha! But what's wrong with him?  
(I'll tell ya what's wrong with him, he was tortured for a week; you'd be a psycho too...) (kidding^^) And what's wrong with Sesshoumaru?

The rehab's half the fun! Lots of Sesshy angst, cuteness and other good brotherly(SESSH)/romantic(KAGOME) sap coming. 

Tell me whatcha think!   
Review if ya can! You have no IDEA how much feedback is appreciated. Tell me whatcha wanna see more of, what needs to be changed, what should stay the same, etc., etc...  
See ya! 

(Wish me luck, it may take a while with school. I only got this chapter out by sneaking away and disreguarding schoolwork. Now don't you feel special? Sigh, the things I do for my fans...) 


	4. Chapter 4: Escape

Okay, okay. I screwed up. 

First let me make one thing perfectly clear. No, this is NOT, I repeat, **NOT** a Sesshoumaru/Kagome fic. What I was trying to say was that I was gonna have brotherly Sesshoumaru junk, and romantic Kagome stuff....FOR INUYASHA. 

Jeez, you think I'd let Inu-chan survive this long if I was gonna do a Sess/Kag fic?! Good Heavens, no.  
**  
**Anyway, yes, Sesshou-nii-chan will get his arm back. But it won't be until towards the end of the fic when Inuyasha gets his sight back. Oh, and the rating is for gore and language. Tell me if I should lower it.

Ja, here we are! The long-awaited chapter four! (Holy cow, 24 reviews for ONE chapter?! Dang...)

  
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****

  
Chapter Four

  
Kagome was abruptly drawn to the far side of the room as voices, roars, and shouting emanated from the door.

That howl... Is that Sesshoumaru?

The miko motioned for Miroku and Sango to follow, Kilala at their heels. The alotted time had passed, and the group had gone into the mountain to find the demon lord as agreed. 

The remains of the fire demons were still smoking; thankfully Sango had brought some extra breath masks. Kilala had carried them over what seemed to be dried lava, but the demon exerminator set them straight, having recognized the signs.

And smells.

The rooms had been very dark to them at first. It was hard adjusting to pitch black; Sesshoumaru hadn't had trouble because of his demon eyesight. They passed through the defeated caves slowly, cautiously, just to make sure there were no more monsters lurking around. The water demon's cave had been a puzzle, as there was no sign of any kind of combat, but when the group of humans passed up a pile of disintegrated stone, they knew they were still on the right track.

Now they were on their way up the long spiral staircase, heading toward the loud sounds that echoed towards them. The group exchanged glances, slowing as a conversation was finally made audible:

"--_Brother? Brother?! _--_Please don't do this--_"

"_AAH--_" The cry bounced from wall to wall, piercing.

"_Inuyasha, come on, look at me--_"

Kagome put a hand to her mouth. _He found him. Thank God, he found him.   
But--_

_"Inuyasha?"_ The humans quickened their ascent as another pained moan reverberated through the walls. The voice muttered something they couldn't make out. 

Sesshoumaru's voice answered quickly. _"Yes, that's right. Now please, brother, open your eyes?"_ His tone was tinged with something similar to despair. Kagome shuddered at the blood trickling down the stone, but continued upward. Sango and Miroku shared a meaningful look.

Finally they reached the opening the youkai had made into a red-lit room. Miroku stopped them from entering, putting a finger to his lips. "Let's wait a few moments and see what he'll do. We'll know for sure if Sesshoumaru is sincere by then." 

Reluctantly Kagome nodded.

"...Shhhh, it's okay, I'm right here, little brother. It's me, it's Sesshou-nii chan, remember?" Kagome's heart was breaking as she listened. Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to Sesshoumaru's ever-quavering voice recount the times of their childhood. 

"...and you'd always get scared of the dark and hide under my pillow, and we'd laugh, we laugh..." The youkai's deep voice broke. "Oh God I'm so sorry brother..." 

Kagome looked at Miroku, who nodded for her to go in, his expression saying that he'd regretted ever doubting Inuyasha's sibling. Sango held the way for her until she slowly stepped inside. She saw the older demon hunched over a trembling figure in the middle of the room. There were chains trailing from his wrists. but that was all Kagome could see with Sesshoumaru's back to her.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Inuyasha? Sesshoumaru?"

The demon lord gasped and snapped his head around towards her. 

"No!" he spat, tears staining his face. The miko jumped in surprise. Quickly but carefully Sesshoumaru moved his brother to the floor, stood up and began removing the shirt from his body. "No! Don't look at him!"

Kagome's voice caught. She froze. "Sesshoumaru, what did he do to Inuyasha?"

The youkai didn't answer, but continued in his undressing until his torso was left uncovered. A large, painful-looking bruise spanned his chest. As fast as he could Sesshoumaru wrapped his shirt around the hanyou's body, throwing his armor to the side with a loud clatter and lowering his tail from his shoulder.

"You--you can't see him like this," he managed huskily.

The youkai stood slowly and turned to face them, Inuyasha's bundle wrapped securely in his only arm. Sesshoumaru was shaking from the effort. All they could see were the hanyou's feet and the top of his head and eyes, which were closed.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Sesshoumaru. We have to take a look at him, or we can't help him. Please, I know how hard this is for you," _and me,_ "but I need you to put him down."

"No," he shook his head violently, hugging him tighter. She could see he was abandoning reason.

"Please," Kagome begged, tugging lightly on his arm. "Please, Sesshoumaru. He could die if we don't help. You have to put him down." The miko switched tactics. "You can't hold him with just one arm; he'll fall."

The miko could see the demon lord's resolve waver. He nodded hesitantly. Gently Sesshoumaru laid Inuyasha down on the stone floor, eyes fixed on his face.

Again the half-demon started when he touched the floor. "Ah...AAH--" 

It was no use. No matter which way he tried to lay him, the pike was in the way. And if they laid him on his side he'd be on top of a broken arm. Sesshoumaru retracted his earlier agreement. 

"I can't put him down," he cried. "It'll hurt him..."

"Okay, Sango, I need your hiraikotsu. We can use it to prop him up." The demon exterminator complied, chewing her bottom lip. Carefully she helped put it into position.

_Now the hard part_. "Sesshoumaru, can you unwrap him for a minute?" In the beginning Kagome thought she had braced herself for anything. But the reality turned out to be much, much worse. 

There was a moment of complete, horrified realization as the cover was lifted from Inuyasha's body. 

First the pike jammed into his naked chest was made visible, then the daggers, then the burns, and finally the series of sharp spikes driven into his leg. There was blood everywhere.

Miroku's eyes were wide. "Oh my God."

"Inuyasha." Sango had both hands covering her mouth. Shippou was in hysterics atop Kilala.

"No," Kagome cried softly. She reached for his mangled body. "Inuyasha... Inuyasha, can you hear me?"

Two golden eyes fluttered open."..." She tried again. 

"Inuyasha?"

"...Ka...k...Kago...me..." He moved his head, looking in vain for her from Sesshoumaru's arm. "Ka...go...me...... Wh...where...are you...?" 

Sesshoumaru explained his sibling's situation to the others. "When I came in he called my name. I thought he recognized me, but he was looking for me," the youkai said softly. "He's blind."

Kagome could feel her chest tear in two. The tears came rolling. _What did he do? _She wondered disorientedly. _How could Naraku hate him enough to do this? _

"I want...Kagome," he murmured. "I--I want..." His eyes squeezed shut. "I want to go home..."

Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome. "Can we take him back to the village like this?"

"We have no choice," Miroku said grimly. "We don't have the means to take care of his injuries. We'll have to fly him back on Kilala."

Kilala nodded and gave a mew. 

"No..." The group's attention was drawn back to Inuyasha. He was gripping Sesshoumaru's hand. "Ka...gome...Kagome's dying..."

The miko looked up from stroking his forehead, shocked. "What? Inuyasha -"

"No--Naraku--Kagome!"

"He's sending him visions," Miroku said tersely. "We have to get out of here. By now Naraku will know we're here." At those words the walls began to shake. 

"He's moving the castle," Sango shouted, reaching for the half-demon. "Let's go!"

Sesshoumaru picked him up and set him on top of Kilala, then picked up Kagome, Miroku and Sango and sat them on behind the other. There was only time for a momentary blink as the seemingly solid rock walls began to cave in. 

_RRRRUMBLLL--**BANG!**  
_  
With a gigantic crack an enormous boulder fell from the sky right at the demon's feet, forcing him to leap back to avoid being crushed. "Ah--"

Miroku held out a hand. "Come on!" Clutching his chest, the youkai jumped up and swung a leg over the huge firecat, dodging yet another cave-in in the process. 

As soon as they were all aboard Kilala bounded away down the narrow stairwell. Time seemed to slow as they rushed back out through the doors and many caves, stone, stone, and more gray stone whizzing past them. The stability of their fortress was collapsing more with each passing second. One room, two rooms, a hallway--

Sango screamed suddenly, pointing behind them. "_Hurry_ Kilala!" 

Liquid rock was erupting from the middle of the mountain, run-off from demons. It was already singeing the cat's tails as she bounded down the path, taking leap after leap away from the scorching slag. She gave an earsplitting bellow as the fast-moving liquid touched her back paw, taking her speed up a good few notches. 

Screams intermingled with the roar of a giant waterfall as lava sprayed from openings in the mountains. With an extra burst of speed Kilala shot from the mountain like a bullet just before the stream of fire followed from the mountainside. Kilala flew away into thick, white clouds just before the castle disappeared, and the black mountain crumbled beneath it.

"Whew, that was close," Miroku breathed. He looked around. "Who has Inuyasha?"

"Me," Kagome said softly. "Shippou's on my shoulder, he's alright. I think the shock cleared his head of the poison."

"Is Inuyasha gonna die?" sniffed the cub. 

"No, Shippou, no if we can get him to Kaede."

"We'll have to hurry though," Miroku replied. "I think he's passed out again. Who knows what he--" Suddenly the monk's voice fell away. 

Kagome looked behind them. "Miroku?"

"...Uh, Kagome? We may have to get there twice as fast."

"What? Why?!"

"Because now Kaede has two patients. Sesshoumaru just collapsed against my back. I think he's unconscious."

"WHAT?!" Kagome yelped. "Kilala, set us down!"

The giant cat complied, finding a forest clearing just a few dozen miles from the castle site. Kagome leaped off and ran to Kilala's back. Miroku was holding Sesshoumaru up as the great youkai leaned down lifelessly against him. 

"Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru," she yelled, shaking him. 

"Un..." The demon's hand was latched onto his chest involuntarily.

Kagome registered the time he had removed his shirt. "The bruise. He must have been hit hard, we need Kaede. Miroku, I need you to put him in front of you so we can monitor his condition. He could just stop breathing at anytime," she said desperately. The miko turned back to Sango. "Let's get back to village, and hurry!"

A single nod was the only acknowledgement of her request.

As they flew off, the group was so caught up in taking care of the two youkai's injuries that they didn't hear Sesshoumaru mumble under his breath. "Mother... Inuyasha... I'm sorry..."

  
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"Because she's--eeeeevil, yes she's--eeeeeevil..."

Em's theme song. Sung to the tune of the Ant and the rubber tree plant song. You know, "But he's got--hiiiiigh hopes, he's got...." 

Ahem. Sorry.  
I honestly don't think this chapter was very good, but...

Anyhoo, now we are going to head back to the village, where Sesshy-sama is going to make a very speedy recovery, and we find out the extent of Inuyasha's injuries, physical and mental... (I'm so evil. Really.)

Thank you, everyone, for the great reviews. 24 for ONE chapter. I'm still in shock. Where's a paper bag?? Breeethe Em. Breeeeeeeeethe--

Oh, and as I mentioned before, I've got school piling up, so I'm sorry this is so short. But the next update may take awhile for it to be good. Also I don't want to get banned from the computer or grounded or something stupid like that for ignoring school and ficcing.

Jaa, please review! I got in a lot of trouble for writing this chapter, and it's always nice to see if you're appreciated...or if you reely suck.

Mata!  
^_^X 


	5. Chapter 5: Healing Can Be Difficult

**Chapter Five**

  
Kaede pushed aside the cloth covering the entrance to her hut, peering out at the busy village. The feeling from this morning was growing stronger. 

The old miko toyed with her long gray ponytail absently as she stared up at the sky. It was clear today; the rain was gone, and that meant that the crops could be checked. A good rain had been needed. But something about that rain had felt...wrong. 

An unhealthy darkness had accompanied the clouds, something different from the usual black and gray thunderheads that gave them storms. This was unnatural, an evil darkness. Kaede had known instantly it must have been a demon, but as of yet she was unsure if it was Naraku or just a nameless entity. 

Kagome and her group had been gone for three weeks on their jewel hunt, and as of yet she had no word on how it was coming. Or how they were doing.

The miko had barely time to sigh before the first cry echoed throughout the village.

"Youkai! It's a youkai!"

"Lady Kaede, come quick!"

"Get the weapons--"

"Stay back!"

Kaede rushed from the doorway to see a group of men surrounding a tall, white haired demon. It was an unnecessary precaution, as it was clear this demon could barely walk. Her eyes snapped wide in recognition.

"It can't be... You?!"

~~~

"Rrrrr." Kilala pushed her head against Sango's hand, nudging her to look ahead of them. The clearing of the village was in sight now; they'd probably set down right next to the meadow. Inuyasha's moaning had long since ceased, and Kagome was beginning to wish he was screaming again. 

At least that would mean he was alive.

"Miroku, how's it going back there?" Sango said, peering behind her. 

"Not well. He's still not waking up and his chest is turning green," Miroku called back. "His whole front was hit, really hard. But the bruise is only half the problem; his breathing is what really concerns me."

Kagome cringed. "It isn't slowing, is it?"

"No, but the effort it's taking him to get a breath is enormous. He must have been crushed by something."

Kagome looked down at the sleeping half-demon in her lap. She had been fighting the oncoming hysteria rising in her breast since they had climbed the stairs back at the castle, and she didn't know how much control she had left. First Inuyasha, now Sesshoumaru... This just couldn't get any wor-- no, better not jinx it. 

"NO!" Suddenly there was a cry from behind her and Miroku let out a loud yell.

Kagome looked back--only to see Miroku with his hand reaching down toward the ground. His eyes were wild as he caught his companions' gaze. "I--He--"

Sango eyes widened as she caught on. "Oh my God!"

"Sesshoumaru!"

The demon had awoken suddenly and leapt off of the giant cat, plunging at least three hundred feet to the ground and he was still falling. After a few seconds he was invisible in the mist, his long white mane trailing behind him. Kagome and Sango just couldn't believe it. Sesshoumaru had literally disappeared into thin air.

"I was holding onto him," Miroku said shakily. "His eyes opened and he broke my grip, then jumped off!"

"...Sesshou...nii chan..." Kagome looked down into Inuyasha's clouded eyes. "Kagome..." Kagome reached for his hand as he felt for her. His eyes cleared as much as was possible for a few moments. "Wh... where is...he?"

~~~

The first thing Sesshoumaru was aware of was wind; rushing by his face, battering his eyes, cooling his heated flesh. The sky was no longer visible.

I must have passed out, he realized--just before the trees took him.

"Ahh!" The demon lord's bare back was hit by hundreds of passing branches, scratches forming from the sharp leaves and sticks protruding off of limbs. A rush of green was all he could see before his back cracked against a branch and a explosion of pain overtook him, the world going momentarily black.

Seemingly seconds later, his eyes cleared and he registered that he was hanging suspended over a two story drop to the forest floor, bent in half on his back like hanging laundry.

_I'm...going to get you for this, brother,_ he though woozily as he slid from the limb and fell hard onto his stomach.

WHAP!

"...Ouch."

The youkai let himself stay there for a while, regaining his grip on reality while the ground spun beneath him. The pain in his chest was overwhelming. He'd had his breath knocked out of him again and the cuts on his back were oozing blood into his hair, throbbing. Slowly he reached out with one hand and pulled the earth to a stop.  
_  
Alright. On three, get up--ahhh hell._ Sesshoumaru pulled himself onto his elbows and rolled into his back, which he immediately regretted. Yanking his torso up into a semblance of dignity, the demon lord finally rose and began making his way toward the village.

This did not prove to be an easy task.

The trees served as good crutches to a point, but there weren't that many in between the forest and the clearing to his destination. So it was quite a blow to his pride every time he fell on his face. The first four times it was tolerable, but the fifth proved his undoing.

"Aaaah! Curse it all!" he bellowed, punching the dirt. "How did I get into this?!" _Oh well. Gotta get up; it'll be worse if they come looking for me..._

A few minutes later Sesshoumaru was at the edge of the village. And, of course his appearance caused a panic among the villagers. As the demon slowly walked up the path to Kaede's hut the humans were screaming and skittering away like insects.

"Youkai! It's a youkai!"

"Lady Kaede, come quick!"

"Get the weapons--"

"Stay back!"  
_  
_The demon's eye twitched in annoyance. _Think of Rin... Think of Rin..._

"It can't be... You?!" An elderly woman stepped forward from the crowd, pushing aside the useless peasants. She stared at him with her only eye, her gaze travelling over his missing arm, blackened chest and deep scars. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he growled, making a few people step back at the bite in his tone. "I came to find my brother." _Wait, that didn't come out right--_

"Ye don't seem to be in any condition to fight him right now," Kaede said skeptically. "And even if you were, he's been gone for over three weeks."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "You mean they aren't here yet?"

"No, they were supposed to be back a week and a half ago. But why do ye care? I didn't think you'd be disappointed at their absence." The priestess' expression was puzzled. She looked him up and down, taking a step closer. 

"...What happened to ye, Sesshoumaru?"

"Kaede-san!" Heads turned at the voice behind them. People backed away left and right as Kagome, Sango, a full-sized Kilala and Miroku came into the village, and in Miroku's arms was a dirty, stained bundle that looked an awful lot like the demon lord's kimono. "Kaede-san, no! Don't hurt him!"

"Kagome! Why are ye so flustered? What has happened?"

"It's Inuyasha," she sobbed. "Naraku captured him; we were looking for him for a whole week. He--he's--" Kagome pointed at Miroku. The old miko caught sight of an arm hanging lifelessly from Miroku's bundle of cloth. 

"Oh my." Kaede stepped forward and lifted the makeshift blanket from the half-demon's limp form. Her eyes narrowed as she dropped the cover. "Let's get him into the hut. Quickly!"

Sesshoumaru watched impassively as the group of people surrounding them left to follow the old priestess. Sango pulled lightly on the demon's shoulder. "Come on, you. We've got to get you onto a futon; you shouldn't even be up."

"Get away from me, woman," he said tiredly. "I don't...want..." Abruptly his statement was cut off as he fell onto one knee. Sango caught the demon lord halfway to the ground. His voice resonated from behind her arm. "...Is he going to be alright...?"

"He should be," she murmured, stroking his head. "It'll take time. But he'll be alright." Sesshoumaru's eyes fluttered closed, a small smile touching his lips before blessed sleep came to claim his weary mind.

~~~ 

Night came. The people of the village had resumed their duties and now things were quieting down. Kaede was in a separate hut from Sesshoumaru, tending the half-demon's wounds. Kagome, Miroku, Shippou and Sango had all stayed with her to help for the past four hours.   
  
"Kagome, can ye hand me that bandage there, and get some more hot water on it," she ordered. "This wound will need cauterization. The antidote for the poison isn't working yet, so we need to stop any more bleeding before the night is out."

Kagome nodded brokenly, remembering the horrible sounds the burning water had made on his other deep cuts. The daggers had been removed, as well as the spikes, and his leg had been properly set. 

Now the hardest part was approaching: they would have to remove the pike so tightly wedged in his chest, and they would have to do it without breaking his back. The weapon was right in between two ribs and his vertebrae; the only way to ensure no furhter damage to his chest was to pull the smooth handle all the way through.

"All right now, Sango, Kagome, I want you to press these cloths into the openings in his stomach and his back as I pull. There shouldn't be too much blood, but he can't afford to lose any more. Miroku," the old Miko said sternly, her lips forming a thin line, "I'll need you to hold him down." The monk looked completely unsure of this, but nodded resolutely. He moved to pin Inuyasha's arms while Kagome and Sango got in place with the bandages.

Kaede had both hands placed firmly on the weapon as the hanyou was propped up with a table to expose his wound on both sides, face turned to the mat. "I'll pull on three. Ready?"

Nods all around.

"One."

Inuyasha let out a small sound.

"Two."

His grip tightened on Miroku's wrist.

"Three--"

The miko yanked methodically-- and her ears burst.   
"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH H!!!" _**

The half-demon's scream of agony echoed out over the rooftops, heads turning inward from every direction at what sounded like the shrieking of a damned soul. Inside the hut Miroku was struggling to keep Inuyasha from moving as writhed and twisted on the tatami. 

"Nn!" he hissed from between clenched teeth as sharp claws pierced his arm to the bone. "Lady Kaede, I can't hold him!"  
  
"Sango, get the other side--"  
  
"Miroku--"

"Kagome! Kagome--Kagome!! No! No-- NO--"

"I've got the bandages, we have to make them hold!"

"Don't let him move his torso! Get his arm, now!"

"Kagome," he called, crying. "Kagome... It hurts--Kagome-- Kagome-- help me--"

Kagome buried her head in her arms... and sobbed.

~~~ **__**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHHH!!!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped wide at the sudden blast of sound coming from the east. That was--

"Oh, God," he moaned. "Brother..." _Please let it be over soon. Please, come kill me, come feed me to the wolves, turn me into a human, anything, just make it stop--  
_  
The demon lord put a hand to his aching forehead as the sounds died away. He looked at his surroundings and saw that he had been placed on a futon with a cool cloth on his head, facedown so as not to aggravate his wounds. This, of course, was merely making his chest hurt.

"Nnn..." Everything was foggy. He couldn't quite remember where he was, or what he'd been doing earlier, but as he breathed slowly in and out the details returned. He knew of his sibling, and the fall, but the later events had taken a few minutes. The image of a white-haired child appeared before his eyes, carrying a ball. 

_Inuyasha, _he clarified. 

The child's eyes bore a hurt look. 

A pang of guilt shot through the youkai's chest as another cry of pain rang from the walls. _Inuyasha... Live for me... I need to sort everthing out. And I know I can't do it without you... I'm so confused, brother._

Those were his last thoughts that night as much-needed sleep clouded his senses and sent him into darkness.

  
  
_________________________________  
_________________________________

  
Okay, now we're going to skip ahead to about two months later. I'm almost (not quite, but almost) tired of the torture stuff. I think fluff and angst are now needed. As well as resolution over a period of time. But hey, if you want more, I can extend it... ^^(insert evil laugh here)

Once again, I neglected school for this. But you know what? I'm homeschooled, and I'm already so behind my schoolyear will extend into most if not all of summer. 

So, just to let you know how good a procrastinator I am, I'll see how fast I can get the next chappie out for this AND a few other fics. Mwahahaaa...

Oookay, maybe not. But this is fun writing, so...

I was going to make the chapter longer, but I figured this had been going on long enough for more,a dn that was a good place to stop for a bit. Especially with such enthusiasm from readers! WOW!! Once again, over twenty reviews! For ONE chapter! I have never gotten so many responses... 

...I'll bet it's 'cause a' the summary. Anything with torture needs to be checked out, ne?

Jaa, minna, you review, and I'll write!! ^_^X  
Mata! 


	6. Chapter 6: New Beginnings?

That does it.  
Okay people, let me make this perfectly clear; I've said this from the beginning! :  
******  
NO MATTER WHAT IT MAY LOOK LIKE THERE IS NO YAOI OR SHOUNEN AI IN THIS FIC. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY YAOI OR SHOUNEN AI IN ANY OF MY FICS.**

I ONLY DO CUTESY STUFF, LIKE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND FIANCEES!

The closest I have ever gotten to writing a lemon is in 'Fear of Love Confessed' which I deleted, to give you an idea of what I write. You tell me what you want in the romance section though and I may give it to ya. Here are the pairings: Miroku/Sango, Inuyasha/Kagome. THAT'S ALL.  
Jeez... (Yaoi?! Who do they think I am? Yumi-no-baka?)

Oh, and yes, I have to give Yumi-san some credit for the torture idea. I had been thinking about it, but reading her, um, fic (blush) gave me the real motivation to write an Inu-torture fic.

Okay, enough ranting. On to the fic! Oof.

Oh, and yes, I have decided by popular demand to keep the fic going in real time and only skip ahead a few weeks next chapter, after morning. Hey, don't worry guys, I ain't rushin' this. I want it to be good, and I'm not about to just throw stuff in for the heck of it.

Keep giving me advice, peoples. I listen! And a lot of the suggestions have been reely good... (snnfl) It's so nice to know you care!

Keep the reviews coming! They equal more chappies and lots of motivation!

**Chapter Six**

Light was there. Light.

It actually existed; he couldn't believe it. There was a light. Nothing big, but the sheer brilliance and purity of its existance was mesmerizing. It seemed to draw him into it, even though he wasn't moving. The color was strange, not anything he remembered. Even with his excellent eyesight this wasn't familiar.

Inuyasha was slipping. He felt...strange, as if a giant whirlpool was sucking him into it, but he couldn't feel or see it. He couldn't feel anything. There was nothing but light, and yet even that wasn't there...

_Is this what it's like to die? _he wondered. _Can't be... I've been dead before, haven't I? No, that was sleep, I think. This is waking... Where is this place?_

Suddenly there was no light. Only pain. Red.

He had a body now, but it hadn't been there before. This was agony. His chest had been replaced with hell, legs cold, throbbing with dull pain, his arms stinging him to the point of distraction. An involuntary whimper escaped his blue lips. Thoughts transferred unconsciously to words.

"Nn-Oh...oh no...n-no more... Leave me alone... Just lemme go, let me die... I don't want to be here anymore... N-no more, please no more...No more..."

A soft, cool hand caressed his hot skin, gently wiping the tears from his face to replace them with a wet cloth. "M...mama?" The cold made him shudder reluctantly before settling into the comforting embrace he couldn't see. A familiar scent filled the air, a mix of leaves and wind. But it was followed by a sickening, rotting-flesh smell almost invisible to his clouded senses. A smooth voice flowed through his ears, the command in its deep tones irresistable.

"Sleep, brother. You'll be alright. I'm right here with you, don't worry."

A nagging thought pulled the hanyou into momentary wakefulness.  
"The others..."

"I'll protect them for you, little one. Just relax, they are safe," it replied. "As are you." The voice faded away and Inuyasha returned to the place in his mind he had inhabited so long.

Only this time, the light was gone.

~~~

Sesshoumaru was startled awake by a pang of...what? Pain? Guilt?  
Sympathy, perhaps?

The feeling lingered in his chest and he decided it must be pain. Slowly he pulled himself up on his elbows from laying facedown on the soft blankets. The cloth that had been clutched tightly in one hand was now at his temple. Part of him registered that he had been moved.

_...Inuyasha. _

The name cleared the last of sleep from his brain as things came back to him, but it didn't awaken his muscles. The work it took to simply reach the door was inexcusable. (Well, to him, anyway.) Sweat covered his face as his chest gave a lurch. Healing was sometimes more trying than the original wound. His demon powers had kicked in over the last four hours; if he had been human he was sure he'd be dead.

_Wait...healing powers?_

Yes! That was it! Why had his brother not healed at all? His demon blood should have taken care of his wounds... Had he been drugged? Poisoned?

Another moan took him from his musings and pushed him on toward the door of his sibling's hut. The curtain was closed, but there were a few children standing on a box next to the window. They were trying to see in, whispering. One of them gasped, pointing to the demon as he approached, and they scattered.

After taking a minute to steady himself he looked inside. The miko was asleep next to Kaede, and the fox kit was curled in the pocket of her neck. The monk and his woman were asleep next to each other, Miroku's hand held fast by the demon exterminator as if on reflex. In the middle of the room lay Inuyasha.

The equipment used to patch him up was strewn neatly beside him on a tray. There were bloody bandages and used cloth everywhere.

Sesshoumaru's stomach rebelled once again as the removed pike and pallor of his brother's skin registered in his brain. The demon reached a hand out to the sleeping hanyou. He staggered to the pallet and half-fell into a sitting position next to him, eyes clouding.

"Inuyasha..."

The half-demon stirred at the sound of his name, but did not wake. The blood on his bandages was flowing greater, the stain spreading. "Nn..."  
_  
Oh, not again. Why? Why didn't Naraku just kill him? I'll never forgive him for this, I'll never let him forget... That demon will die by my hands, I assure you brother._

"Nn-Oh...no...n-no more... Just lemme go, let me die... I don't want to be here anymore... N-no more, please no more...No more..." Sesshoumaru heart contracted with pain. Gently he pulled his little brother's head up into his lap, wiping the accumulating tears from his eyes.

He wasn't ever really good with pain... He put up a good front, but deep down it really scared him... To be hurt... To die...

God, Sesshoumaru, you idiot! You've been doing this to him your entire life and you never felt anything for it! What were you thinking, you selfish bastard?! What were thinking?!

The demon's teeth clenched together, his jaw setting.

A shudder from Inuyasha's body drew him away from his hate. He tightened his grip slightly, hugging him closer and placing the cold cloth over his eyes.

"Sleep, brother. You'll be alright," he said, trying to convince himself as well as the hanyou. "I'm right here with you, don't worry." For a moment Inuyasha seemed to relax, but something made him stiffen, and his eyes opened halfway beneath the cloth.

His blank, sightless eyes.

"The others..."  
The humans. The demon lord replied the only way he knew how. "I'll protect them for you, little one. Just relax, they are safe...as are you."

"As are you..."

Kagome's eyes fluttered open, focusing on the firelight. She realized that everyone had fallen asleep, but someone else was in the room. The miko caught sight of long white tresses, falling from tall, bare shoulders.

Her heart leapt. _Inuyasha!?_

Sesshoumaru turned to lean down and reposition his brother, revealing a missing arm... That had halfway regenerated? Kagome realized instantly that it wasn't Inuyasha, but the sheer shock of seeing the demon's replenished limb made her momentarily forget the situation.

"Se-Sesshoumaru?"

He turned to her slowly, painfully, a questioning look on his face. "Your- your arm-" she managed, astonished.

The demon looked down and his eyes went wide. There were the beginnings of a forearm protruding from his missing arm, and despite the fact that only three inches of his lower arm were formed, there was an elbow there that hadn't been only a day ago! Sesshoumaru tried dazedly to comprehend this.

I'm regenerating? That shouldn't be possible! Demons heal quickly, but they can't regenerate- How can this be?!

"Sesshoumaru?" He looked up at her from trying out the appendage. "Is it going to grow back?" The look on the miko's face was one of pure happiness. She was relieved beyond words that he wouldn't have to live with the reminder of he and Inuyasha's feud.

"I-I don't know," he replied shakily. _But..._ A flash of Inuyasha's body torn and bleeding flew across his mental vision. He would have done anything just to hold his poor sibling properly, like a parent they'd both never had...

"Have I been granted a second chance?" he murmured.

"Everyone is," Kagome told him softly.

"...Ure...shii..." The demon grinned before slumping against the table and closing his eyes. Kagome smiled at him and placed the two in a more comfortable position so he wouldn't wake up with a crick in his back.

The miko's gaze lingered on Inuyasha's hand clinging to his big brother's arm. Her smile broadened. She kissed the top of the hanyou's head, and placed a blanket over them before laying down.  
_  
I'm happy for you, Inuyasha... Now you can both have a family. I just hope you'll be well enough to appreciate it soon.  
_

_  
_

I know, It's reely short. But as I've explained before, I have to neglect school to get these out, so... BEAR WITH ME.

Alright, like I said, I am gonna skip ahead, but there will be detailed recounts of what happens during the period of time. (And who here thinks Inu-chan helped Sesshy regrow his arm...?) (^^ Hey, didn't I say I listen to people? You want an arm, you've got an arm, by popular request.)

More Kagome/Inuyasha fluff, less Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru cuteness coming. But it won't be stopped altogether, just evened out. This IS a Kagome/Inuyasha, after all, for the BILLIONTH time.

Too short, I know, but this dang thing needed SOME kind of update before I get mauled by ficcers. Jaa, suggestions? Comments? ENCOURAGEMENT?!

Ahem. Please review! Luv ya peoples!

(Besides, I've heard Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga, Miroku or any other Inu-guy that you ABSOLUTELY **LUV** pops out of your computer every time you hit the little button on the left side of this window...)

(Works with girls too, Kagome/Kikyou/Sango/other fanboys!)


	7. Chapter 7: Crawl Before You Walk,Brother

(Snnfle) I just can't believe (snffle) how many fans there are (snnfle) of this story! Thanks you guys! I'll thank each and every one of you at the end! And give a Japanese translation page...

Okay yaoi people, sorry if I tick you off, but as I said BEFORE, Inu-chan and Sesshy are **BROTHERS**, yo. Get it through your head!

No, I am not closed-minded. But "that's just the way that it is, uh-huh, uh huh..." Thank you, Shadowfax, for the support! I won't be discouraged! That is one of the coolest reviews I have ever gotten.

ALRIGHT PEOPLES! NOW THAT I HAVE PUBLICLY DECLARED THIS **NOT **YAOI AND HAVE STATED MY OPINION AS IS LEGAL IN THE GOOD OL' U.S.A., _**WHO'S STILL WITH ME?**_

Ahem. Review and lemme know who I still have interested! And if you aren't...  
...Don't review.

**Chapter Seven**

Miroku stirred slightly. "Ow."

The pressure from Sango's grip swas cutting off the circulation to his hand, and it was getting more than just slightly uncomfortable.

He slowly removed the fingers intended for her backside and carefully peeled away the fingers squeezing his arm, one by one. There was still an imprint, though. _Crud._

Morning light was streaming in gently from the window, bathing the occupants of the room with soft but strong radiance. The sun felt good on his face, and he closed his eyes for a few moments, savoring the warmth. A soft sound brought his attention to the middle of the room.

There, next to Inuyasha, lay Sesshoumaru. The older demon was spread across the floor at his brother's head, sleeping peacefully with his back against a table leg. His white hair was spilled across the floor, cascading over tan shoulders and blanketing glare from the sun off of his pure white tresses was almost blinding. Miroku wondered how he'd missed him.

He was surprised, but not very, to see Inuyasha curled up next to him, away from his own mat, his hands grasping his brother's clothing. The hanyou was breathing easily now, as was his older brother, his chest having healed well during the night and the dark spot close to fading away completely.

Relief flooded over him as he saw Inuyasha's shoulders rise and fall in the rhythm of his breath. He honestly thought the half-demon would not survive the night. The monk's gaze fell on Sesshoumaru's arm around his little brother's head, cradling him tenderly.  
_  
Things do change, don't they_, he mused. _Less than a month ago this demon wouldn't have hesitated in crushing him, and now..._ He let his thoughts fade, watching with a smile as the two lay silently and comfortably in each other's presence.

Finally Miroku looked over at Kagome, who still had the smile from last night on her face, and let out a breath. The monk had been worried about her; the stress and worry for her beloved Inuyasha had been eating away at her for the past few weeks.

He wasn't sure how much she could have taken, and the possibility that the hanyou might be dead, well... He couldn't even think about what it might do to her.

The monk rose and dusted off his clothing, reaching for his staff against the wall. With one last look at Inuyasha, he pulled the curtain aside and stepped out into the sun.

As the day wore on, eventually the hut emptied. Even Kaede and Kagome left for while, as soon as they were sure that both patients were stable.

Inuyasha's bleeding had subsided, but Kaede predicted that he probably wouldn't be able to walk or stand for a few more weeks. The makeshift casts on his arm and legs would help steady him, but the wounds would limit his movement to small steps, and a walking stick would be necessary. But then, because of his blindness, he would need one anyway.

Kaede asked to see Kagome privately, but assured her they'd return a little later. She nodded and followed obediently, straightening the blankets as she rose to walk with her. The old miko turned and faced her once they'd reached her hut.

"Kagome. I have news."

"News?" she pressed. "Is it them?"

"Sesshoumaru will be fine. His arm is regenerating at an exceedingly rapid rate; it's a complete mystery to me," she sighed. "Considering this speed, I think it will have fully regenerated in about three weeks."

"That's wonderful!" Kagome told her. "This is what I hoped would happen; I mean it's kind of hard to get along with someone when it's their fault you're disabled."

"Yes, I know," Kaede said slowly. "But that isn't the problem. Kagome... It is Inuyasha."

"Huh?" The miko's enthusiastic smile was wiped from her face. "What is it? Something other than what we saw?"

"Yes," she replied. "You see, I examined him thoroughly for signs, traces of any kind of poison. His healing powers haven't started working on him the entire time, and the only thing that could have affected him like that is poison. But despite my efforts, I couldn't find anything. He had either already flushed it out of his system, or... or that wasn't the problem."

"What do you mean?" Tension was beginning to grip Kagome's chest. "What's wrong?"

"I believe Inuyasha has endured psychological damage as well as physical while in Naraku's castle. That would explain his regression into himself, and we all know Naraku isn't one to under-do a job." Kaede took a deep breath. "He may not remember anything that has happened, or he may remember it all, and I am not sure which one will affect his mind the worst."

"He may not remember...us?" The thought struck the young miko as, hopefully, impossible. "But-but he called for me! He called for Sesshoumaru, he..."

"He will remember it all eventually; he may even remember it now. But how Naraku's tortures affected him, I cannot be sure. It is all up to him."

"...Okay." Kagome breathed slowly, in and out. "I'll help him with everything. Maybe me and the others will calm him; he can hear us, he can see us-"

"That's... the other issue, Kagome."

_B-BMP. B-BMP. _Her heart was beating holes into her chest.

"His eyesight was... severely damaged. It's as though Naraku had gashed his eyes and that is how they healed, but there's no mark to indicate that it was a wound. I...I cannot say if he will ever regain his sight."

Kagome felt her blood pounding in her ears. The colors of the priestess' gi and hakama, the green of the grass, the blue of the sky, all seemed to shine out at her roughly, as though mocking her. Color. So much to see. So much that would not be seen.

Kaede put an arm around the girl's shoulders, trying to comfort her. "I know this will be difficult, but it will pass. You just need to help him recover. Our Inuyasha will be back to us soon... Although considering his colorful use of language and attitude, perhaps we should prefer him to remain as is," she remarked.

Kagome let out an involuntary laugh. "Yeah... I'll have to remember not to sit him."

"Hunh...?"

Inuyasha couldn't tell what was going on. He felt...people. Everything was black. The scents were muffled, he could smell a lot of blood but not much else.

..._Blood? _Fear gripped his heart like a vice. "Ka...Kagome?"

Suddenly a hand tightened around the base of his neck. "Ahh!" he yelped, reflexively pulling away. He struggled to release himself from an unseen grip, panic setting in. It was dark again. Darkness and blood. Pain was eating away at his chest, his arms, his legs-

"Kagome- Kagome!"

"Whoa, whoa," a soft voice said reassuringly. "Shhh, it's okay, brother, you're safe. We brought you home."

Inuyasha stopped his writhing and stared without results into the black. The unseen voice was familiar, but somehow unnerving. "Sesshou...nii chan?"

He gave a small chuckle. "Yes."

"You...you're here?"

"Yes."

The half-demon released his held breath slowly, calm replacing his manic fear. "Wh-where's Kagome?"

"She's outside, talking with Kaede-baba. They sound pretty happy now. Listen." Sure enough, laughter could be heard from his left, bouncing cheerfully from ear to ear. Inuyasha relaxed against his brother's shoulder as he stroked his furry ears, tousling his hair.

"You saved me... Nii-chan saved me," he murmured, curling up to him like a baby.

"Yes."

Silence.

"Nii-chan... are you still mad at me?"

Sesshoumaru started tangibly. "What...? No, I..."

"Do you...still hate me?"

There was a long pause. The half-demon couldn't see his expression. "No. I don't hate you."

"You don't?" He sounded childishly hopeful.

Inuyasha felt his brother smile. "No, I don't."

"...Good."

"Hmph." The youkai nodded his approval, resuming his playing with his little brother's hair.

"...I'm tired... Can I sleep now?"

"Yes, you can."

"...Good. 'Cause I'm really...tired... It's so dark..."

"I know. But it won't be forever."

"...See you in the...morning, Nii-chan?"

"Yes, otouto-chan. See you in the morning."

"Heh..."

With that, Inuyasha felt the world slip, and he tumbled down into the softness of sleep.

~~~  
_Two weeks later_

~~~_**  
**_  
"Come on, Shippou! It's only for a few hours," she insisted. The kit was wrapped securely around her leg, clinging like a barnacle and sticky as one to boot, due to all the sweets he'd consumed.

He was shaking his head like a maniac, trying to keep her from leaving.

"No no no nononononono," he babbled, eyes shut tight. "I don't want you to go yet! Can't we play a little more? Can't I come with you?"

"No, I have to do this alone," Kagome told him. "Don't you remember? Today we can get Inuyasha out of bed. We need to get him walking, and he asked for me and Sesshoumaru to be there..."

"But why can't I come?" he whined, pleading with puppy-dog eyes.  
_  
Because he's embarrassed and shy and doesn't want anyone else to be there,_ she thought. "Please Shippou, just stay here for a little while and I'll be back. I'll bring you some more of that special candy you like, and we can play hide and go seek. Okay?"

The kit's eyes widened. "Really?" he said excitedly.

"Really."

"Well, alright. But hurry back!" The miko smiled at the cub's exuberance, watching him scamper off into the bushes. He had gotten a little taller, the little fox was almost up to her knee now. She'd have to be careful; he'd probably turn into a rebellious teenager like Inuyasha...

_Oh, man... Do I really want to do this?_

He poked his nose out the door, scenting the passing villagers. He could smell children, and men and women. The half-demon could smell the rice they carried, and some different vegetables (wait, were those turnips?), and a few strange, cottony smells that must have been cloth materials. He could smell the dirt of the road, and rocks, and some trees, tufts of grass and a few foods; good smells like noodles, cooking rice, boiling water, and tea, all caoming from the other huts.

He took a deep breath._  
At least I won't be able to see them stare.  
_  
Inuyasha stepped carefully out of the doorway, pushing aside the noren and slowly walking with his new staff wrapped tightly in shaking fingers.

He'd been given a new red haori, and his hakama had been mended, but the slashes had been so severe that they were visibly pieced together. At a slow, unsure pace the hanyou made his way down the dirt road, trying to find the path to the woods.

Inuyasha had only gotten a few feet from the door when he sensed them: there were people, stopping all around to look at the village's half-demon, taking in his clouded, solid yellow eyes and his walking stick which served as both a crutch and a guide. He began to sweat as the murmurs started.

_I knew I shouldn't have done this, now Kagome and Nii-chan'll be mad at me,_ he thought desperately. They had told him to wait, and not to come out of the hut till they came and got him, but he couldn't wait.

Gulping down his fear, he continued his painstaking steps toward the path. He smelled leaves that way, and cooler darkness. The sun was warm on his face, almost hot, so he knew it must have been about ten in the morning. When the heat was on top of his head, he knew it was noon, and this was a little off.

Inuyasha was just beginning to calm down, thinking about taking a rest beside the tree in the road when it happened: his worst nightmare. A rock was on the ground near his left foot, just below his staff.

He felt the stick hit the obstacle in his path and realized in growing horror that he was getting off-balance. The emotion had barely time to register as his panic loosened his grip on the staff and it fell to the ground, leaving him without any means of support. The half-demon staggered on weak, unsteady legs and tripped, falling hard onto his front in the dirt and knocking the wind out of him. Cruel claws of shame and embarrassment tightened the iron grip the fall had on his lungs, cheeks burning scarlet.

He felt tears of frustration threaten to well in his eyes, hearing gasps from the villagers and whispers skittering back and forth.

_Damn it, I can't-I can't even..._

Inuyasha forced the tears away, resolve gripping him tighter than the pain. Slowly his breath returned to him as he relaxed his muscles and tried to feel for the staff.

A rustle to his left made him freeze even as his fingers found the guide. He turned his head. "Kagome?"

No answer.

He tried again, sniffing to see what his senses brought. It smelled human. "Who are you?" he asked, warily.

The person didn't answer, but instead took the staff from him. Inuyasha let out an involuntary cry of surprise as he felt the comfort of the hard wood leave his fingers.

"What-what are you doing?" he yelped. He heard the person freeze and suddenly realized that this human was just as scared as he was. Inuyasha swallowed and, taking a shaky breath, forced himself up on his arms, trying to rise.

A hand grabbed the hanyou's wrist and he cringed involuntarily, but after the initial contact he realized that this must be a child. There was little strength in the grip, and he felt tiny fingers barely able close around his.

He heard another villager, presumably a parent call out to him to get away from there. Whoever it was was quickly silenced by another human, yelling for her to be quiet. Inuyasha stayed where he was confusedly as footsteps approached them from the vicinity of the argument.

"Wh-who is it?" Inuyasha tried again. There was shuffling sound as the child kicked its feet.

"Nuriko," was the shy answer.

Suddenly the footsteps reached them and he heard the girl protest as she was picked up and carried back to her mother. Inuyasha was surprised to hear them return and speak softly. "Do you want some help?"

It took the half-demon a little while to respond. "Ye...yes," he replied in a soft murmur, still wary of whoever was talking to him. He felt two hands much bigger and much stronger than the little girl's pick him up from the ground and carefully set him on his feet. He wobbled a little, but managed to half-walk over to the tree and lean against it. Two hands returned his staff to him and he took it gratefully.

"Thank you," he said in a subdued tone.

"You're welcome," was the reply.  
Then the steps faded away.

Inuyasha stayed where he was next to the tree for a long while. His fingers ran over the smooth wood of his guide, stick back and forth.

After a few minutes, he smiled, and prepared to continue his walk into the forest.

I love bishie-torture, don't you?  
CUTENESS! (squeal)

That was the weirdest thing I've ever done. I wrote this while switching back and forth from a book report to the chappie. Weird, hunh? I guess you can multi-task with school and fics! ...Sort of...

Here's some real good stories to check out, these guys are awesome. And so cute! KAWAII! (squeals):

In Dreams by Happy Youkai (Inuyasha) She reviewed this fic and signed it, by the way, if you want to find her penname without a search

Falling Into Grace by Lady Blackmour (Vampire Hunter D [crossover]) This also doesn't require much of a search, it's on the first page of VHD, as not many people write those fics. (I know, I know, I didn't think it'd be good either, I'm not much of a crossover fan, but check it out, it's SOOOOO GOOD)

And all the other goodies are on my faves on my author's page.

So everyone, any other requests? I gave Sesshy back his arm, Inu-chan will be blind for the majority of the fic, but not all, and more Sesshy/Inu cuteness was achieved! HAH!

Now the only thing left: romance. Hee hee hee... Lessee, how should I do this... Oh yes, and more cute Inu-chan rehab scenes comin'! Can't wait for the next walking scene... (Geez, I'm writing this and _**I**_ can't wait for the next scene, how does that work?)

Jaa! ^_^X Next chappie-

Oh yes, and you want your bishie? Press the button! (I've heard some parents install Bishie Blocks for safety reasons...)


	8. Chapter 8: Baby Steps

Peoples? I love you. (snffl) And because of that, here's the next chapter.

You have no idea what your reviews of encouragement about sticking up for myself meant to me, instead of telling to stick it. ^_^ I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD you agree with me! 

Also, thank you Mewzy! I'm like that with a lot of my fics I read; I read them constantly but hardly ever review because I either don't have time, or the computer messes up, or I'm just (ahem) lazy? ^^ I agree with the Bible; I think that, um, consummating (blush) homosexuality is a sin, (especially with multiple people,) but I don't believe being a homosexual is a sin. Sometimes its just the way people are. And hey, recently I came across a few Hiei/Kurama fics that were really sweet! Soul mates and all that... Of course, maybe it was because that author liked to torture Hiei... 

I think the reason people like the yaoi and yuri fics is because it means love without restraint, like not caring about each other's differences. And I'll admit that is kind of sweet, but still...  
  
(Hey, I'm not perfect either. For example, while I try not to read any kind of lemon, it happens sometimes. I _am_ sixteen, you know. But I try not to 'cause I know it's wrong. Sometimes they're cute, and sometimes they're just reely disgusting.) 

Geez, I'm turning my author's notes into a religious crusade. Which isn't really a bad thing, but you guys don't wanna read this, do you? 

You wanna read....

**_INU-CHAN STUFF!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! BISHIES!!! ^^_**

I'll focus on answering peoples questions and the fic; enough chatter about moral dilemmas.

Some Sesshy torture gonna show up... Oh yes, and I'm not letting Inu-chan off the hook yet... 'Member, Naraku is still out there... Hee hee hee...

**__________________________________  
__________________________________**

Chapter Eight__

  
Damn it, damn it, damn it all--

Sesshoumaru was consumed with the mantra damning everything in life as the pain ate its way down his arm, teeth gritting and sweat beginning to slide down his temples. 

The cool shade of the trees helped soften the burning grind in his left arm, slightly soothing the fire shooting mercilessly down from his shoulder. He gripped a newly-formed handless wrist with his right hand, claws biting the flesh relentlessly. The searing heat had been increasing over the past week as the arm slowly but surely began to regenerate, and now all that was left to grow was his hand. 

This, it seemed, would prove to be the most painful.

The past few weeks had been mostly uneventful for him; staying by Inuyasha's side and informing him of his situation. Today would mark a new turning point in the half-demon's recovery, and hopefully things would begin to right themselves. The demon lord had made a point of not trying to help him too much, letting him do as much for himself as was physically possible, but he didn't ask any questions of him or mention anything that had happened the month before. He merely ignored the growing ache in his left arm and went on taking care of the weakened hanyou.

They had almost thought he was gone when the moon had disappeared; the demon strength that had sustained him had disappeared and at one point he had even stopped breathing. Thanks to Kaede and Sesshoumaru's knowledge of youkai healing techniques, his breaths resumed and he was brought back to a safe point. Even now the demon lord didn't want to admit how afraid he'd been that they were too late.

Now, waiting in the forest for the human miko to retrieve his brother, another wave of white hot electricity burned him with the intensity of lightning. He let out a hiss as the arm gave yet another twinge. 

_They'd better hurry up_, he thought, jamming sharp teeth into tender gums._ I need a secluded place where I can finish this... It's too open here... Getting hot--_

"Hrgh!" Sesshoumaru's teeth clenched tighter, digging deeper into skin as a new wave of nausea swept him and heat blasted its way down his shoulder. "Damn it, where are they?" he growled.

~~~

_They were nice,_ he thought, bringing his staff to the front of him while he steadied himself against a rock._ I wonder what the little girl looked like._

Inuyasha remembered seeing playful children frequently around the village, but now their faces had all blurred into one person, laughing with several voices. He pictured what she might be like: rosy cheeks, big, wide blue eyes that sparkled and closed daintily when she smiled, two short black pigtails, a cute little laugh that could have stopped the heart of the fiercest of demons. 

Maybe she wore a little yellow and white kimono, and had a red ball she liked to chase. Or maybe a stuffed doll, with hay and leaves for clothes and grass for hair. The thought made him laugh, seeing her constructing a tiny doll from leaves and hay trying to make it as perfect as those soft little hands could weave it. 

"Inuyasha!" A higher-pitched voice called out to him from the road.

He turned automatically in the direction of his name, ears twitching in recognition. "Kagome?"

A warm hand came to gently cover his arm, the soft brush of hair against his skin tickling as it flicked in the wind. "Are you alright?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. "I couldn't find you in the hut where I asked you to wait for me. I was so worried."

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I just got a little too worked up. I want to try walking without the stick today. Can I try?" A pleading note took his tone up slightly.

"Of course," Kagome replied. "Let's go meet Sesshoumaru and do this." Taking hold of his wrist, the miko walked further into the woods, trailing the half-demon behind her. The dirt path had been carefully cleared for them until they got to the meadow where he'd requested they go, and she sat him next to a tree tied around the trunk with cloth. 

"It's so you can tell which way is which," she told him. "This tree is the one nearest the path. It's on your left."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding, but his mind was somewhere else. "Where's Nii-chan?"

"I'm right here," said a somewhat stifled voice from across the clearing. He heard grass crunch under the older demon's feet as he approached them and stopped next to the large tree trunk. His air intake was barely audible, making him sound out of breath, as though tired from running.

"Sesshoumaru, you're flushed," he heard Kagome say. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," he said steadily. "Shall we begin?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yes." 

The first thing they did was position the hanyou straight across from the cloth-tied tree, tying a rope line from one end of the clearing to the tree. Kagome took both of his hands in hers and made him drop the supporting staff. He shook violently, but made no sound. 

"Okay, Inuyasha, this is the way we're gonna go," the miko told him. "I'm going to walk with you, and you're going to follow me, then you'll rest for a few minutes and try again. Then, after we're sure you can do it, you can walk by yourself across the clearing to the tree. Alright?"

"Alright," he murmured. 

He lifted one foot and placed it in front of the other... 

...step...   
...step...   
...step... 

...very carefully to avoid tripping, and slowly he followed her over the grass. "That's it... Just a little more... One more... There." He started a little as his hands left hers, but abruptly sighed as they touched the soft cloth. 

"See there? We made it." He smiled at her voice coming from above his head as he sat at the tree's base. "Heh." 

She laughed with him and tweaked his ears. "I knew it wouldn't be so bad. Didn't he do great, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha heard her turn around.

"That was good," came the soft reply. "Let's try it again. My turn?"

Inuyasha's smile broadened. "Uh huh." His expression sobered in concentration as he felt a hand take hold of his and help him to his feet. Again, his balance was a little off, but he managed not to fall. "N--Nii-chan, may I hold your other hand too?" he asked uncertainly. "I can--feel myself leaning..." There was no reply.

The pace of their walk was a little faster this time, and they reached the opposite end of the meadow quickly. Now the hanyou's legs were beginning to tire. He sighed as he sat down. "That felt good," he said happily. "Thanks, Nii-chan." He felt the smile his brother gave him. 

Then something happened. 

Inuyasha couldn't tell what was wrong; there was a strange burning smell, like leaves on fire, coming from Sesshoumaru's direction. The cry left the demon lord's throat before he could even think about stopping it as the veins on his left arm began to bulge. Steam was rising from the skin.

Kagome's hands were covering her mouth. "Sesshoumaru!" 

"Kagome?!" Inuyasha cried, hands gripping the grass. "What's wrong? Kagome? Please, tell me what's happening!"

"I-- I don't--" 

"Agh!" Kagome's voice cut off as a choked scream from the demon lord yanked their attention away from each other. His wrist was throbbing tremendously now, about the size of a large rock. Inuyasha heard a loud thump as his brother fell to his knees. "AAHH--"

Kagome's eyes widened in horror as the demon gave a final cry and with a loud and sickening crack the appendage burst open in five directions, blood covering the five fingers that had grown outward from his forearm. 

"Nii-chan?!" 

Inuyasha had crawled over to where his brother knelt. He wrapped his arms around him from behind, head resting on his back. The hanyou sounded frightened. "Nii-chan, what's going on?"

"_Hunh...hunh._.." Sesshoumaru's heavy breathing filled the silence, each brother feeling the other's movements: Inuyasha's trembling body against his sibling's back, and Sesshoumaru's heaving shoulders against the younger demon's cheek pressed into his shirt.

Inuyasha called him again after a few, long, agonizing moments. "N... Nii-chan?"

"...Try again, Inuyasha..."

"Hunh?" The hanyou lifted his head from the demon's back, confused. 

"Again," he repeated. "I'm fine... I want you to walk for me." Inuyasha wasn't sure what had just happened, but the last thing he'd been thinking about at the moment was walking. He nodded slowly. 

"O...okay. Let's go." _He can't be too hurt if he's gonna keep going. Right? _The hanyou pushed down against the grass to raise himself onto his knees and finally his feet from the ground where Sesshoumaru was sitting. "Can you walk me across this time?"

"Yes." Again a gentle hand covered his... But this time it was followed by another. It was warm, slightly damp, and the skin felt strange, but the two hands held his with an equally firm and comforting grip. 

Gradually the two demons made their way over the silent meadow and back to the village. 

~~~

"Cool!" Shippou shouted. "You mean he just grew one? Like a... a branch off a tree or something?"

"Basically yes," Kagome sighed. "He had me worried, I mean, it looked like it was about to explode or something. Freak me out."

"Could we change the subject please," Miroku interrupted. "I believe we're making Inuyasha nervous."

"Nervous? Whadda ya mean nervous?" he insisted, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice. "No nervousness here, nope, nothing. Absolutely nothing.... Um... was it... gross?" Everyone laughed.

"A little," Kagome told him, squeezing his arm. "He sure did a good job of scaring us to death, didn't he?" The assembled group all tried to give the hanyou their assurances that his brother was fine. 

Kaede, Miroku, Kagome and the others were all seated around the fire in the priestess' hut, awaiting dinner. Sesshoumaru had asked for them to start without him, but he'd been gone awhile. Kagome guessed that he wasn't going to come; after all he'd been labelled by some as a murderous demon who took no prisoners. __

You don't exactly get over that kind of thing easily... Oh well. I'll talk to him later...

  
  
A sudden movement from Inuyasha pulled Kagome out of her thoughts. The hanyou had stiffened suddenly, ears twitching. "Inuyasha?" she questioned.

"Kagome," he said, concentrating intently.

"Yes?"

"...That smell..."

"Huh? What smell?" the miko asked. "Is something wrong?"

"...It smells wonderful. What is it?" Inuyasha could feel himself beginning to drool. "Its that over there..." He pointed, ears twitching faster.

"Hunh?" Everyone looked over to where the ramen was bubbling over the fire. "Inuyasha, it's ramen. Don't tell me you don't remember?" Kagome's face suddenly hardened as she recalled Kaede's earlier words.

"I don't remember smelling anthing that good," he said bluntly. "Can I have some? Please?" The hopeful look on his face made her smile unconsciously. He was just so cute! For some reason her mind wandered to a picture of the Unmother, the reflection of her holding a chibi Inuyasha in her arms. "Sure, help yourself--"

"YAY!" Everybody stared at the half-demon's enthusiasm. "Thank you," he said happily, accepting a bowl and some chopsticks. "Haha!"

"Why do I feel like we're dealing with Rin?" Sango murmured, raising an eyebrow.

Kagome shrugged with a half-hearted smile. She glanced at Inuyasha gulping down his ramen. What else didn't he remember? Did he remember the jewel? Or Kikyo? 

_Does he remember... what Naraku did to him?_

The miko pushed the thoughts away only to be greeting with a pair of puppy-dog eyes (pun intended) sparkling at her and an empty bowl. Kagome laughed as she filled the proffered bowl for him again, but later she knew she would have to ask him what he still knew. 

"Yum! Can I have some more?"

"Inuyasha! Everyone else has to eat too, you know!"

"I know, but it's just so good--"

"You're gonna throw up--"

"Oooh... I don't feel so good..."

"You see there?! I told you, that's what happens when you wolf your food- "

"Wolf? Where wolf?"

"Werewolf?"

"Shippou!"

"Oh for heaven's sake-- Inuyasha?!"

"Uh oh."

"S--"

  
_____________________________________  
_____________________________________ 


	9. Chapter 9: shorty

WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! I'M BACK!!! Emiri-chan is back from the depths of FF.net!!  
  
Hi, everyone!  
  
I am very sorry about the UNBELIEVABLE amount of time it took to get even THIS up... But as you can see on my author's page, I am currently engrossed in repeating the whole brother torture thing with Aragorn and the twins.  
  
GOMEN NASAI! I couldn't resist!   
  
I just wanted everyone to know that NO, I have NOT abandoned this fic, nor Rended 2: Ishin's Travels in the RuroKen section. NOR Ikiru in Gundam Wing! ....It's just taking an EXTRAORDINARY amount of time. If I post another chapter t an anime fic tho, it will probably be to Heal or Rended 2 first. I was younger when I wrote the first Rended and now, looking back on it, I may do a rewrite because I think my writing style has improved. Heal too, but maybe not, as it is much more recent. I would keep the original versions on the site, so please bear with me!  
  
THis is a short rendition of what I have planned for the next chapter. I would like to REELY thank all of you for the suggestions! WHile I only write what I think is best, I do pay attention to suggestions I like as well, so wish me luck!  
  
()()()()()()()  
  
Chapter...8 1/2?  
  
()()()()()()()  
  
"OW!! Don't touch me there!" He glared at the fox kit who had jumped down his body from his shoulder.  
  
"Well, if you hadn't made Kagome mad you wouldn't have gotten sat!"  
  
"I don't even know what I did!" Inuyasha pouted in Shippou's direction as he followed him back to his hut. The fox-demon had been asked to lead the hanyou in for the night so he could rest up from the day's exertion. His thighs were beginning to hurt again; the deep lacerations left from Naraku's metal spikes hadn't fully healed, and now he was feeling the effects of standing with muscle that was hardly there.  
  
"At least she sat you lightly. Honestly, I'm beginning to think Miroku's right."  
  
The half-demon blinked. "Hunh?"  
  
"Miroku says that all women are like that," the kit shrugged. "They all get mad for no reason, and they hit for something you do before you do it."  
  
"Why would they do that?" Inuyasha was confused. Although it did make a little sense; after all, why else would she have done that... sitting thing? He hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe she thought he was going to do something?  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
A cry from behind him made his ears twitch. He smelled humans again... children, by the scent and sound of it. A few of them giggled as he turned in the direction of the laughter. There was a scuffling as a few of them shied away, but a single set of footsteps approached him, stopping at his feet. He knelt carefully, recognizing the scent.  
  
"Nuriko?" he ventured. There was a silence as she nodded, then caught herself and gave an "m-hm". Inuyasha smiled. It was good to hear her voice again. 'Hear but not see. Maybe never again...'   
  
"I... um," she said shyly, "I was wondering... would you play with us? We, uh... that is, if you want to..."  
  
"Of course," Inuyasha told her happily. "There are a few more hours of daylight left. If your parents don't mind, then I'll gladly come. You'll have to lead me to where you play, though." He could almost feel the sunbeams her wide smile emitted.   
  
"Inuyasha, you aren't supposed to be up too long," Shippou reminded him squeakily. "Kagome'll sit me by force if she finds out I didn't listen to her!"  
  
"Well... go back and tell her I wandered off."   
  
The kit stared blankly as he made his way off to the village square, then skittered away to find his surrogate mother.   
  
'Maybe that's what she sat him for.'  
  
()()()()()()()  
  
"He what?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Why?"  
  
"W-w-well, th-the children of the village asked him to go p-p-play with them," Shippou was shaking in his--um, paws. The glare the demon lord was giving him was enough to shrivel an unsuspecting plant. "He-he told me to s-say that he wandered off."  
  
"That baka," Kagome sighed. "I suppose he does need a little relaxation. We worked him hard today."  
  
"We cannot let him stay out tonight."  
  
Kagome stared in surprise at the youkai. "Sesshoumaru?" The look on his face was one of anger, uncertainty, and... fear? He was looking steadily out the the window, gazing up at the darkening, orange-red sky in a place where neither cloud nor star was in view. She followed his gaze and glanced at him nervously. "Sesshoumaru, what is it?"  
  
"The moon. It is not where it should be," he murmured.  
  
Kagome's heart stopped. "Oh God. New moon! Inuyasha reverts to human tonight!"  
  
The demon lord nodded grimly. "I have been fearing this. If he does not have his demon blood and healing to assist him, he will relapse. I don't know how badly."  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?!" the miko cried. "We have to find him and get him to Kaede before he over exherts himself!" Without another word she ran out of the small shack, nearly knocking the villagers outside on their backs as she went.  
  
With a quick prayer, the Lord of the Western Lands leapt out the window and away into the twilight, forcing himself to believe that everything would be alright.  
  
()()()()()()()  
  
...Not if the authoress has anything to say about it. Muahahahahaaaah.... Well, there's part of it! Wish me luck; I have my first SAT tomorrow.  
  
Want more of that chapter? Then REVIEW!!! Mata! 


	10. Chapter 10: Death and Despair

Oh. My. God.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot apologize enough for not updating for-- oh, I don't know-- THREE YEARS?!? Good GOD, I saw that and just HAD to write something. Plus I was so inexperienced when I started this that the character flaws and weird jumps in logic make me cringe... T.T; I hope my writing style will have improved to your liking.

I am now finally in college and instead of the 14 year old otaku I used to be, I am gonna be 20 in March. As in, a Japanese adult. basically nothing has changed except I'm acting more like a kid than ever and finally visited Japan, TWICE, woot and of course, I have a liiiiiceeeence... (ominous music)

I hope the wait hasn't kept you too long, and maybe this'll get some new readers as well as some old ones who wanna kill me... XD If you wanna flame me for taking so long, and it'll make you feel better, go ahead. Y'all deserve it. Go on. (dons football helmet)

Enjoy! O-matasete gomen nasai!

(P.S. Nuriko's name is now Noriko; expect changes in character, in people... and hopefully a little more depth, good Lord...)

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**HEAL**

o

**Chapter 10 : Death and Despair**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Inu-nii-chan, more! More! Over here!"

"No, me! Pick me, Nii-chan!"

"No, me!"

The sun was already down, but the parents who'd been calling for their children in exasperation were now merely watching with crossed arms and gentle smiles as the crippled half-demon had begun playing catch with the youngsters in the square, following their voices to aim. A pair of fathers were watching and chuckling as their sons waved excited arms at the dog demon, who couldn't even see their antics, and chirped at the top of their lungs to be thrown to next.

"Kids up and swarmed him the minute they saw him," one man with a grey-blue gi murmured, stifling a laugh when one boy fell on his face trying to push to the front. "Amazing... They would've run screaming from any other demon."

"We spent a lot of time running ourselves," the other whispered, "both from him or after him with spears. Poor guy deserves a break; we didn't exactly treat him well after he _stopped_ chasing us, either."

"Mm." The man in blue nodded. "It took a near-death experience of _his_ to heal our own prejudices somewhat... I just hope to the gods that it doesn't take that much to fix the wounds in here as well," he tapped his own chest, over his heart.

"Sou da ne... "

In validity of this quiet exchange, other old habits were proving to die hard: a few of the mothers looked a little concerned with the close proximity of the children to a demon. But every so often throughout the game, Inuyasha would flinch or sigh at a stinging in his legs, or bump against something and gasp, and the children would set him right, letting him know where they were, and keeping him away from jagged rocks or bushes. Matronly concern made their hearts melt in sympathy.

He just looked so sweet, playing with the children.

One child, however, seemed to have captured his heart out of all of them; one of the youngest girls, named Noriko. She was perched on his shoulders as her weight was slight enough not to be a burden, and the white-haired hanyou was obviously infatuated with her openness and sweet voice.

"Inu-nii-chan, can I go? I wanna go next!" she begged, tugging on his sleeve to be let down. At the achingly vibrant smile Inuyasha wore, it was clear she would be next whether she wanted to go or not. Shrugging gently, the half-demon let her slide to the ground using a nearby boulder as a step.

"Ready?" he ventured. A small 'un!' came from his left, and he ever-so-carefully tossed the ball to the side of where she stood, so as not to hit her. Inuyasha bit back a sheepish groan when he heard her yelp and run after it; he'd missed.

"Sorry," he apologized, scratching his neck. _Am I never going to be able to play with her properly?_ he wondered, a slight heaviness casting its net over his wandering spirits. _I have to learn to do this... I want to._

It must have turned to night while they'd played, because a chorus of parents were one by one calling for their little ones to head home:

"Manami-chan! Time to come in!"

"Aww, Mama--"

"You too, Kasumi!"

"Aww,_ man_... coming, Mami," answered someone else from the little group. Slowly but surely he heard them leaving, until only a handful of parents stayed behind. Three children were still playing with the subdued hanyou: the boys and Noriko, and they seemed at ease with the late hour.

"Come in when you're done, Noriko-chan," her father called over his shoulder, heading for their fire-warmed hut with a smile in his deep voice. Inuyasha recognized it as the voice of the man who'd helped him up when he'd fallen. "Ii ka?"

"Hai," she tittered back. Something in her tone made Inuyasha pause, and an image of a tall teenager with flowing silver locks and a crescent moon on his brow made him freeze. The clarity of the moment in his mind was crystal-- a babbling brook, soft grass, the scent of a cooking meal, the glint of moonlight in his brother's golden eyes, making them shine like real gold:

_An adolescent Sesshoumaru, one without the weight of life, breeding, and rank on his shoulders. "You come in when you're finished with your game, Otouto-chan. Ii ka? We don't want you to catch a cold."_

_"Hai!"_

_Nii-chan..._

A flash of red, bright and painful in his eyes, and his heart contracted.

_B-BMP._

Blink.

"Huh?"

_"Pathetic. You're nothing but a half-breed whelp. I refuse to recognize your existance. You sicken me, Inuyasha."_

_His own voice: "**Bastard!**"_

"What's wrong, Inu-nii-chan? Are you cold?"

Noriko. She was worried about the shudders wracking his body as a deluge of images swarmed his unprotected mind, curling his hands into fists. A stab of sick foreboding shot through him as memory after memory poured into his mind like an evil current:

_"--Your birth was an abomination! You are a disgrace to our father's bloodline." _

_"Stupid, useless half-breed."_

_Fear, pure fear as the shadowed figure went for Kagome, intending to kill her, fear as something agonizing and bright was wrenched from his eye, feeling like his brain was going to explode--_

_"I should have killed you long ago," someone snarled. "You cannot defeat me!" _

_They had a whip, painful, with acid and poison laced through it. It burned, and he growled as he leaped to the attack. A name was on his lips, screamed in frustrated bloodlust and blinding anger. His ears were roaring, he could barely hear through the fury rushing through him-- What was the name? He could hear more clearly now..._

_"Se...m...ru..."_

_"Sessho...ru...!"_

_"Sesshoumaru!"_

_"**SESSHOUMARU!!**"_

"No!" he whispered. "It... it couldn't be..."

_It was him? All that time... The one who hurt me was...? _He shook his head, confused._ No-- but-- why do I remember him like--?_

"Inu-nii-chan--? Inu-- ahh!"

With a frightened shriek, Noriko was quite suddenly holding Inuyasha up on top of her, struggling not to be crushed and not let him fall at the same time.

"Inu-nii-chan?! Inu-nii-chan, wa's wrong?!?"

"Nngh--" The hanyou was holding his head as though it would break apart if he didn't keep it together; eyes clenched shut, teeth gritted so that blood was most likely being drawn from the force. His cane clattered uselessly to the pebbled floor as the two men came running, reaching to relieve the little girl of her heavy burden.

"What happened?"

"I dunno, he jus' fell over!"

"Holy--"

"What's happening to his hair?"

Beneath the rain of chatter, one word emerged from the changing hanyou's lips:

"..._Nii-chan..._"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

o

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

If there had ever been a time when Sesshoumaru had ignored trying to keep things quiet, it wouldn't have held a candle to his attitude right now. The silver-haired demon was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, making a loud bang each time he hit the shingles and basically waking the whole village. And to top it off, he was bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"Inuyasha! Brother?! Inuyasha, answer me!"

His scent trail was as Shippou had said: they'd been walking back to the hut, then the children had come and he'd wandered off to play with them. Trouble was, he'd played EVERYWHERE. The strength of his scent was the same all over the village, and he couldn't hear anything but the rushing of the river beside him.

_Damn it all... He'll be feeling the effects by now_, Sesshoumaru realized, taking the jump to the ground and running the pathways on foot. "INUYASHA!" he yelled.

_Nothing, nothing-- Damn it all--_

A shriek came from his right, punctuated by voices raised in alarm:

"What happened?"

"I dunno, he jus' fell over!"

_THERE. _A streak of white was all that was visible as Sesshoumaru shot down the path and into the square.

"Damn that man, he knows we're too slow to follow like that!" Kagome fumed, running at full speed with her skirt practically flying up in the wind. Miroku didn't mind at all running behind her.

"That way!" he yelled at the girl's loud shriek.

The two of them came skidding into the clearing just after Sesshoumaru had landed beside the hanyou's prostrate form. He was definitely hurting.

The demon lord had gone into full-blown protective brother mode. "Inuyasha?! Inuyasha, wake up--" Sesshoumaru had grabbed the half-demon possessively from the villagers' grasp and hoisted him up into his lap, momentarily forgetting just how grateful he should be at having both hands to do so. "Inuyasha--?"

He paused.

A warm, wet something had just dripped onto his wrist.

With wide eyes the demon lord looked in mute horror at the drop of dark blood staining his skin.

_Oh. No._

Sesshoumaru's prediction had been right. His brother's demon blood was waning, allowing its natural healing powers to disappear along with it. In only moments things would be back to the way they were before he'd been healed. Fear was rapidly clawing at his insides as he realized there was nothing they could do to stop it. _Come on, not now, not here!_

With a low moan from the half-demon in his lap, Sesshoumaru was brought back to the present problem. "Inuyasha, hang on; we're going to get you some help," he soothed, trying to hold him tighter in an effort to let him see that he wasn't alone.

"Nii-chan--"

Sesshoumaru winced inwardly, despair clenching his heart. "It's okay, brother, I'm right here with you."

_Oh gods, please, not this again, anything but this-- He was doing so well--_

_"Hahahahaha," _a deep voice chuckled throatily from the forest's edge: _"So nice to play with you again after so long, Inuyasha. Come, let's get you back home, shall we?"_

Kagome froze, looking up and going still as a statue.

The square went as quiet as death. One by one, all the torches flared and snuffed out like cheap candles, leaving only moonlight to cast shadows on the streets. Miroku paled as the voice registered in his head, and the name dripped from the monk's lips with unadulterated hatred as two red eyes glowed from the foliage:

The one who'd cursed his family. The one whose evil was even now feeding off of his life-force and sentencing him to an early death. The one who'd caused all of them more pain and suffering than they should ever have had to experience.

"_Naraku_," he snarled.

Another chilling laugh sent the humans behind them running for cover, some screaming for their children, others shouting for weaponry to be brought, raising the cry of 'DEMON!' Villagers were scattering left and right, trying to flee or fight. Both would have been in vain.

"_Yes, yes, run_," he laughed. "_Ah, such funny little cockroaches, aren't they, Lord Sesshoumaru?_"

The Lord of the Western Lands was stone faced, glaring with the cold fires of damnation into the darkness from whence the voice came.

"You are not welcome here," he growled, his canines showing from beneath a curled lip. Inuyasha whimpered, and he tried to calm him in his distress, holding his sibling closer to his chest, not removing his gaze from the shadows for a moment.

"_Oh, I hope you don't mind, milord,_" the voice continued, unseen, "_I went looking for you in your mountain fortress. Terribly troublesome to get by; so many vermin to dispose of..."_

Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide.

_No._

"_You needn't worry, Lord Sesshoumaru. I took care of _everything_. Your infestation is no more," _he continued silkily._ "Here, I bring you a gift to remember it by. Feel free to hang it where you will._"

With a loud thump, something dropped from the trees and fell in two pieces to the dusty ground:

A head...

...and a body.

A very, very small body.

Kagome gasped and turned her eyes away, leaning into Miroku, who stood open-mouthed and motionless at the horrible sight.

The dark hair of the severed head was soft and long; Sesshoumaru knew because he'd brushed it so many times. The eyes: big, chocolate-coloured eyes, were half open and flooded with tears. The skin was white, even more so than usual, and from the lips was a rivulet of blood leaking down to the neck. On one side of the head was a little sprig of ponytail, still held by the cloth tie he'd placed there only a few months ago.

_Rin..._

_"I knew it'd please you," _Naraku purred at him._ "You're speechless."_

It was three months ago he'd left, and she'd smiled with her usual: 'Itterasshai!' He felt himself growing ill as her final words rang out in his head.

_'You'll be back in no time, right, Lord Sesshoumaru?'_

_'Ne, next time I'll go with you! I'll be old enough soon--'_

_'Lord Sesshoumaru?'_

_'Lord Sesshoumaru?'_

He hadn't answered her.

"Rin." The name came out as a croak.

It was like a dream. He couldn't take his eyes off her, couldn't move, not even to gather her in his arms. He stared at the lifeless body sprawled in front of him like a doll, not speaking, not moving even at Naraku's amused laughter. At last, his body seemed to move on its own and slowly he rose, nearly tipping an unconscious Inuyasha to the ground before Miroku could grab him.

"Sesshoumaru, wait--!"

He didn't heed the cry. Kneeling next to the limp body and the severed head, the silver-haired demon placed one hand tenderly upon it, stroking the soft hair with a gentle claw. "Rin," he murmured hoarsely.

"_I will take my leave,_" came the mocking reply. "_It looks like our two brothers are not well. I'll come to collect the hanyou when he's feeling a bit more up to some playtime._" A plume of miasma began rising from the vale.

"Naraku!" Kagome screamed.

Sesshoumaru stared at Rin's motionless face in the dirt, unmoving, unresponsive.

_Naraku..._

A flame was growing in his head, in his chest, slowly eating outward at it's icy prison.

_Naraku._

Hotter now. Burning.

_He did this._

_He did this to her._

_HE DID THIS TO HER._

"Naraku." The word tumbled from his lips.

Both miko and houshi looked up as Sesshoumaru stood, faltering on his feet as if he would fall. "Naraku," he whispered.

_'Lord Sesshoumaru!'_

A smile. A kind, loving smile.

The flame burst into life.

_**"NARAKUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"**_

Sesshoumaru's eyes were blasted open in a comet of violent ki as he screamed his rage to the sky. White hot light was blazing from his pupils as he roared his anguish and killing anger from the depths of his being. His muscles bulged and writhed like snakes beneath his skin, hands crushing into rock-hard fists, his teeth elongating into razor-sharp spikes.

Kagome pulled Inuyasha away as a blast of heat and storm wind rushed over them, circulating out from the enraged demon lord's convulsing form. "Miroku!" she cried, trying to shield the injured half-demon from the blasting torrent. "What's happening?!"

"He's out of control!" yelled Miroku, draping himself over the two of them as small tree branches and acorn-sized pebbles began to pelt the huddled pair. "We have to get Inuyasha out of here!"

Sesshoumaru's body was twisting, rising up above the trees as he grew larger and larger, still screaming, his nose forming a canine snout, his tail shooting outward into a sweeping arc. Two decades-old oak trees were crushed into splinters as Sesshoumaru sprang ever upward, howling like a beast from hell. His eyes shone red in the blackness and tore through the curtain of night, laying onto a bright spot of ki moving quickly into the forest.

A feral, predatory instinct took over and his mind locked down onto the target moving away into the mountains.

This one wasn't getting away.

In a streak of angry white, Sesshoumaru shrieked out a bloodthirsty bellow, tearing a hole of pure white into the night as he ran after his prey.

"Sesshoumaru, no! Come back!" Kagome shouted, tears filling her eyes. "SESSHOUMARU!"

He didn't look back.

The winds died, and the evening was dark once more, punctuated only by the rush of the river and Inuyasha's labored breath.

Rin's pale hand lay sprawled over the ground, and in her palm lay a tiny carving of a dog, with a crescent moon on its forehead. Her fingers were still grasping it with a tenderness that shouldn't have been possible for the dead, unnoticed.

A tear slipped from Kagome's eye as she stared up at the new moon where the demon had vanished.

"Sesshoumaru..."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

o

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hours later, near dawn, Inuyasha was no better. His pitch black hair was matted with sweat and blood, as almost all of his wounds had reopened. "Gah! Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?!" Kagome cried in exasperation, wiping her soaking brow. Her hands were covered in bright red.

"We have only to wait until dawn," Kaede conceded, "and that is only a few hours away. I believe he will make it through tonight." The old woman threw a bundle of kindling onto the fire, trying to light another log on the hearth.

"I hope so," she said tiredly, pulling the blanket over him as he sighed from the ache in his stomach. "I can't take another night like this."

"Aye, child," Kaede answered. "But Sesshoumaru may present another problem. Going after a foe such as Naraku on one's own is not a wise decision."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha twitched in his sleep. _But if only she could have seen... Poor Rin... And Sesshoumaru; he must have been hurting so badly; I've never seen him react like that--_

Nearby, Miroku was chanting a spell and adding even more wards to shelter the hut from demons. There was no way they could survive an attack in the state they were in. Outside, Sango, Kilala and Shippou were gathering more wood for the fire, along with a few medicinal herbs. In reality, the taijiya was really looking for an excuse to get the young fox away from the gory scene, and give the adults time to mend things before Shippou was truly traumatized. He hadn't been handling this well; especially feeling that he was responsible.

A knock on the doorframe made Kagome look up, and a flash of white caused her heart to leap into her throat.

_Naraku... Is he back?_

"Let me in, monk," came the exhausted request. "I can't pass through the door."

Sesshoumaru had returned.

"Sesshoumaru?!" Kagome leapt up and ripped the seal off the doorframe, parting the noren and peering out at the demon Lord. "Are you all-- _Ah!_"

Blood was dripping from a deep gash that covered most of Sesshoumaru's chest and gut. He was barely standing; his mouth was bleeding as well, and closer inspection showed a slice of skin taken out of his cheek and forehead in a vicious stripe across his face. His eyes were dead and dull, features completely slack.

Kagome was shaking.

"Oh my God-- Sesshoumaru--"

"'M fine... I'll be fine," he muttered. "Fine... _Unhh--_" As he stepped through the door, his legs gave way from under him and Kagome was swift to catch him, completely freaking out. His entire weight flopped onto the girl, and she felt a hot gush of blood pour out onto her, soaking all the way through her clothes.

"MIROKU!" she yelled hysterically.

Miroku was pulling him off of her and laying him onto his back before she even finished yelling his name. "Lift him up; we need to stop his bleeding," he barked out.

"_Unngh_," Sesshoumaru was pulling into himself, grimacing from the pain as the houshi pressed a wad of cloth into his wound. His eyes found hers, glistening. "I couldn't-- I couldn't kill him--"

"None of us could, Sesshoumaru, it's not your fault," she assured him, cupping his face in her palm. A bloody fingerprint lingered on her cheek, streaking from her tears as she smiled forcedly at the silver-haired man. "It's not your fault. We _will_ get him someday."

"No... I couldn't--" he choked. "I couldn't save her-- Inuyasha-- I _couldn't--_"

"Come, Kaede, we need to deal with Inuyasha's wounds," Miroku murmured. He could feel that they needed to give the demon some privacy, so he quickly left her side and led Kaede along with him to tend Inuyasha, once he saw that Sesshoumaru's wounds were healing. His demonic blood was already visibly repairing him, so he was definitely going to survive, but his wall of stability was crumbling fast.

"Sesshoumaru, no," Kagome begged him. "You couldn't have known that he-- It wasn't your fault. She wouldn't want you to feel like this."

Her hand found his, and he fell apart.

Crying like a baby, the Lord of the Western Lands curled onto his side and sobbed until he couldn't breathe, leaning against Kagome's stomach. The miko crushed his head into her lap, cradling him and rocking him in motherly fashion.

"She-- She was just a child," gasped Sesshoumaru. "She was--"

"I know, I know," the girl soothed, her own tears pouring down like rain. "I know, shh..."

Through the open window, a beam of morning sunlight came streaming in, illuminating the figures inside.

It brought no warmth.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

o

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

OMG, that was depressing. That chapter did NOT go where I expected it to... I actually do have a plan with this though, so ha. (I just KNOW I'm gonna get flames for killing off Rin... For my purposes, no Tenseiga exists, so double ha. XD)

TTYAL! I'll update sooner than last time, be assured.

Oh, and more review carrots means longer, quicker updates from the Plot Bunny...

GIMME REVIEW CRACK TO FINISH THIS WHACKED FIC WITH, PEOPLE.


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